By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The World Bank has commenced
a five-day Implementation Support Mission for Malawi’s $150 million Digital
Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP), with a focus on reviewing implementation
progress, addressing emerging challenges and setting priorities for the next
phase of the country’s digital transformation programme.
The mission, which began in
Blantyre on August 31, 2026, will run until September 4 and is being led by
World Bank Task Team Leaders Tim Kelly and Paul Ndungutse.
The mission opened with a
courtesy call on the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Public
Private Partnership Commission (PPPC), Arthur Nanthuru, marking the first
formal engagement between the World Bank mission team and Nanthuru since he assumed
office in April 2026.
Discussions during the
meeting covered progress under DMAP, institutional coordination, the 2026/27
workplan and budget, procurement, financial management and the implementation
of key project activities.
PPPC is the implementing
agency for DMAP and works with the Ministry of Information and Communications
Technology and other government institutions to support Malawi’s digital
transformation agenda.
The World Bank mission is
also scheduled to engage the DMAP Project Implementation Unit (PIU) for a
comprehensive assessment of progress and implementation challenges.
A Consultative Meeting on
Digital Malawi Connectivity Initiatives – Rural Broadband is also part of the
programme, with discussions expected to focus on the Universal Service Fund
(USF) Cell Tower Initiative, Public Institution Connectivity and the School
Connectivity Initiative.
The mission will further
consult various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that are
beneficiaries and key stakeholders in the implementation of DMAP.
The Implementation Support
Mission is expected to provide an opportunity for the Government of Malawi and
the World Bank to assess achievements, identify and address implementation
bottlenecks, and strengthen coordination to ensure that the Digital Malawi
Acceleration Project delivers its intended development outcomes.
