On 24 October 2024, the Government of Zambia, through the Ministry of Technology and Science, launched the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024-2026). The strategy aims to leverage AI for economic growth and improved public services. It emphasises building AI competencies across all levels of education and industry, aiming to integrate AI-related courses into Zambia’s education system from primary school to tertiary institutions. The National Digital Transformation Strategy sets a target of training 5,000 ICT professionals in areas such as AI, robotics, and data science. In September 2024, the Ministry launched an AI Center of Excellence at the University of Zambia in partnership with Google and ZAMREN. Zambia plans to launch a pilot project in April 2026 integrating AI into its national education system, following a Memorandum of Understanding with Obrizum Group, a UK-based educational technology company. During a May 2025 summit, the Minister of Education emphasized commitment to integrating AI in higher education, smart classrooms, and ethical safeguards.
Who it affects: Students at all education levels from primary to tertiary; government agencies; ICT professionals and workers; civil servants; technology companies and education technology providers.
What is notably missing: While ambitious in scope, the strategy lacks detail on enforcement mechanisms for school AI curriculum mandates, funding sources and amounts, minimum competency standards for teachers before deployment, and binding timelines for implementation. The strategy is aspirational and coordinating, but does not establish binding legal obligations for employers to train all workers or for schools to meet specific AI literacy benchmarks.