BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
GENEVA – Eswatini’s digital transformation received a major boost after His Excellency Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini secured renewed International Telecommunication Union (ITU) support for key national digital development programmes.
The Prime Minister met ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin at the organisation’s headquarters in Geneva, where they reaffirmed their partnership to advance Eswatini’s digital transformation agenda.
During the meeting, Premier expressed the Kingdom’s appreciation for the ITU’s longstanding support in modernising the country’s information and communications technology sector. He acknowledged the organisation’s role in developing Eswatini’s National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) Policy through the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) programme, which laid the foundation for the establishment of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) and the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM).
He also commended the ITU for providing technical guidance during Eswatini’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration programme and for funding the National Cybersecurity Strategy, which has strengthened the country’s ability to respond to emerging cyber threats.
The Prime Minister further highlighted the ITU’s recent support through the GovStack programme, under which local application developers were trained to build scalable, open-source digital government applications. The initiative is helping to strengthen local expertise and improve the delivery of digital public services.
Another key achievement discussed during the meeting was the allocation of satellite orbital resources to Eswatini through decisions adopted at the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23). The allocation places Eswatini among African countries with orbital resources, strengthening the Kingdom’s future telecommunications capabilities and creating new opportunities for digital innovation.
Looking ahead, Dlamini requested the ITU’s continued support for the GovStack programme as Eswatini accelerates its digital transformation. He also appealed for greater assistance in improving affordable access to undersea cable connectivity for landlocked countries such as Eswatini, saying reliable and affordable broadband is essential for economic growth, innovation, investment and inclusive development.
In response, Bogdan-Martin reaffirmed the ITU’s commitment to supporting Eswatini’s digital development priorities and pledged the organisation’s continued partnership as the Kingdom works towards becoming a digitally connected and globally competitive economy.
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