Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera (L) speaks at the project launching ceremony in Lilongwe, Malawi, on June 25, 2021. The Malawi government has said Huawei's second phase of the National Fibre Backbone project to be implemented across all regions of Malawi is going to enhance the country's development goals. (Photo by Joseph Mizere/Xinhua)
LILONGWE, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Malawi government has said Huawei's second phase of the National Fibre Backbone project to be implemented across all regions of Malawi is going to enhance the country's development goals.
President Lazarus Chakwera who launched the project on Friday said that the project aligns well with the country's accelerators meant to achieve the county's development goals in the next four years and that the project is critical for making Malawi's economy, society, and governance smarter.
"This fibre backbone is at once an infrastructure that we need as a nation to keep up with a world that is moving towards all things smart; a platform for enhancing our human capital through the attainment of the skills demanded by the digital future we are entering; and an instrument for revolutionizing our governance by digitizing it for greater efficiency and effectiveness," Chakwera said.
Chakwera also conveyed his gratitude to Huawei for its solidarity done in the country for the past 14 years saying it's exceptional and a real contribution to the country's social-economic development.
Malawi's Information Minister, Gospel Kazako said that the project is one of the most defining projects for Malawi's digital transformation and connectivity journey.
In a speech, Vice President of Huawei Southern Africa Region, Liao Yong said that Huawei is very excited to roll out this historic project as one way of contributing to Malawi's development.
Liao Yong said the project is going to cover 2,800 km of fibre optic cables and it is expected to connect 29 cities and cover more than 100,000 businesses and homes across Malawi.
During the event, two Traditional Chiefs talked with the president using an online video platform.
Commenting on this project, Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga said that development is critical in developing the lives of people living in rural communities.
He said the internet has been an important tool in communicating and business during the times of the pandemic and there is a need to improve it. Enditem
