Mozambique presents draft AI Strategy at ITU Africa workshop
Final AI strategy approval expected by end of 2026 after provincial consultations
#Mozambique #AIStrategy – Mozambique’s National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (INTIC) presented a draft National Artificial Intelligence Strategy at the ITU-organised “AI for Good” Workshop held on the sidelines of GITEX Kenya 2026 last week. INTIC Chairman H.E. Prof. Dr. Lourino Chemane outlined priority sectors including education, health, agriculture, energy and public services, and stressed the strategic role of AI regulatory sandboxes in supporting responsible adoption. The technical component of the strategy is due for completion by June 2026, ahead of submission to the Council of Ministers, with support from UNESCO, ITU, the European Union, the African Union and the World Bank.
SO WHAT? – Mozambique is further along than many observers might expect. The country already has a Cyber Security Act, a Cybercrimes Act, data centre and cloud computing regulations, and a National Commission for Artificial Intelligence was recently established by decree. The draft strategy was shared for provincial public consultation earlier this month with a view to finalise the document during the next few weeks. Therefore, it is likely that a final AI strategy will be published this year, backed by broad national and international support.
KEY POINTS:
National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (INTIC) Chairman H.E. Prof. Dr. Lourino Chemane presented Mozambique’s draft National AI Strategy at the ITU “AI for Good” Workshop in Kenya this month, outlining priority sectors and the country’s approach to responsible AI adoption through regulatory sandboxes and an established legal framework.
The strategy targets AI deployment across education, health, agriculture, energy, finance, climate change and digital public services, with regulatory sandboxes positioned as a key mechanism for supporting safe, evidence-based policy formulation in each sector.
The government says that the technical component of the strategy is due for completion by June 2026, following active provincial consultation sessions involving representatives from the public sector, private sector, civil society and academia across Mozambique’s provinces.
A Multisectoral Working Group, convened by the Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation H.E. Professor Américo Muchanga, will review the strategy before it is submitted to the Council of Ministers. A National AI Commission, established by decree, will also assess the final version prior to government submission.
Mozambique already has a substantial legal and regulatory foundation in place, including a Cyber Security Act, a Cybercrimes Act, and regulations governing data centre development, cloud computing platform procurement, and data centre operations.
INTIC used the Kenya workshop to actively pitch Mozambique as a data centre investment destination, highlighting the country’s electricity generation potential, water resources, an extensive coastline suitable for submarine fibre optic cable landing, and a young, trainable technology workforce.
The workshop brought together delegations from Tanzania, Zambia, Cameroon and China, alongside ITU, which presented AI readiness assessments for African countries and highlighted the AI for Good Sandbox initiative currently being implemented across several African nations including Mozambique.
Multilateral and bilateral support for the strategy includes UNESCO, ITU, the European Union, the African Union, the World Bank, German Cooperation, the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), and the United Nations University’s policy and e-governance unit.
ITU has invited all participating countries to join the Global Summit “AI for Good” in Geneva, scheduled for 7 to 10 July 2026, where Mozambique’s strategy progress is likely to feature as part of the broader African AI governance conversation.
ZOOM OUT – Earlier this month, INTIC opened a one-month public consultation on the first version of the draft National AI Strategy, running until 4 June 2026. The full document is available on INTIC's official website in both editable and PDF formats, and contributions are being sought from public and private institutions, academia, development partners and citizens. INTIC has been explicit that building a robust, ethical and inclusive strategy depends on broad collective input rather than a top-down process. With the technical component due for completion in June and submission to the Council of Ministers to follow, the public consultation window is narrow but meaningful.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Sources: INTIC
