Mia applauds Macra’s ICT lab initiative
Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia says Connect-A-School project which Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority’s (Macra) is implementing is a catalyst for driving digital access in rural areas.
She was speaking Saturday when she presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a morden ICT laboratory at Nkumaniza Community Day Secondary School in Chikwawa District.
The minister stressed that the project was a forward step towards equipping rural students with basic skills in computer technology.
“We are going forward in the world. The future is in information and communications technology because everywhere you go now it’s all about computers and technology.
“So this is a brilliant project that technologically prepares the children. It will significantly benefit the students, my constituency and the district as a whole,” said Mia, who is also the legislator for Chikwawa Mkombezi Constituency.
Macra director general Daud Suleman said in every constituency the authority is putting up one structure in every constituency that will be hosting 40 modern computers and providing free Wifi within 100 metres of that area.
He observed that affordability smartphone.
“Therefore, we decided to deepen access to the Internet through this project which is a catalyst for driving digital access. We believe this effort will reduce obstacles that people, especially those who live in remote areas face when accessing internet,” said Suleman.
Construction of the lab is one of the components of the Connect-A-School project, which is being bankrolled by the Universal Service Fund to the tune of about K6 billion.
According to Suleman, each ICT lab will cost almost K250 million to be fully operational. The project aims at bridging the digital divide by setting up ICT laboratories in the first phase in 75 schools, comprising 73 public secondary schools.
