Malawi and Tanzania on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the two countries to cooperate in information and communication technology (ICT) services including internet connectivity, and cyber security.
The two governments signed the MoU in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, at the end of bilateral talks between the delegations from the two sides led by their respective presidents, Lazarus Chakwera, and Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Malawian Minister of Information and Digitalization Moses Kunkuyu and Tanzanian Minister of Information, and Communication Technology Nape Moses Nauye signed the MoU on behalf of their respective governments.
The Malawian minister told journalists after signing that implementation of the MoU will enhance connectivity, affordability, and reliability as the overall cost of data for consumers in Malawi is going to be lowered.
“The major issue that is covered in the MoU is affordability of data that is going to be enhanced by the connecting of Malawi to the undersea cables through non-commercial avenues because, currently, we are connecting to the undersea cables in Tanzania and other countries via vendor cables, which is expensive,” said Kunkuyu.
On the other hand, the Tanzanian minister described the finalization and signing of the MoU as a happy moment between the two countries, declaring information and communication technology are “the areas that determine the future.”
“We [our ministries] are enablers of other sectors in the cooperation and we are determined to cooperate on the issues of cyber security, exchanging information, connecting our two peoples together, and connectivity on the diplomacy of the data corridor,” said Nauye.
He added that having signed the MoU, the two sides are going to have specific agreements to be signed by their respective teams and afterward, implementation will be immediate.
The bilateral talks were among the activities that the visiting Tanzanian President engaged in, besides attending Malawi’s 59th Independence Anniversary as guest of honor Thursday.
After the talks, President Samia Suluhu Hassan flew to the southern region of Malawi, accompanied by the host President Chakwera, to check the devastation that Tropical Cyclone Freddy wreaked in March.
The Tanzanian President, who flew into Malawi Wednesday for a three-day state visit, returned home Friday late afternoon, local time.
