Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani has appealed to German firms to invest in information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in Malawi.
The minister made the call when he addressed the first Germany-Africa ICT Forum in Berlin, Germany, under the theme Digitalisation As An Opportunity for Business and Development.
Botomani said the Malawi Government considers ICT as a critical catalyst for various sectors to spur economic growth, adding that ICT is among the five priority areas in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III).
He urged German firms to view Malawi as an investment opportunity, adding that the country has a conducive legal framework for Public Private Partnership (PPP) to offer a win-win situation for both Malawi and potential investors.
The forum brought together high-level people from Africa and Germany, including the German Chancellor’s personal representative for Africa in the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Gunter Nooke.
In his keynote address, Nooke said digitalisation provides scalable solutions for the rapidly-growing Africa; hence, the need to harness the full potential of technology.
German Minister of Digital Economy and Planning Kamissa Camara, who was one of the panellists, agreed with Botomani on the need to invest in building African ICT Infrastructure.
She highlighted various studies conducted in Africa that show that a 20 percent increase in ICT investment will lead to one percent increase in economic growth.
Hosted by the German-African Business Association, the forum discussed a wide range of topics, including geo-information applications, women in digital power, private and public sector cooperation, satellites and ICT solutions for creative industries.
