The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has issued a call for abstracts, inviting researchers, academics, and innovators to contribute original research and thought leadership to Zambia's fast-evolving ICT sector. The call is part of ZICTA's ongoing effort to ground the country's digital transformation in evidence — not assumption.
What ZICTA Is Asking For
The 2026 Call for Abstracts is open to anyone conducting research or building practical knowledge in the ICT space. Submissions are invited across the full spectrum of the sector — from policy and regulation, to broadband infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital skills, emerging technologies, and the social and economic impact of connectivity.
Whether you're an academic at a Zambian university, a researcher at an NGO, an entrepreneur with hard-won field data, or a postgraduate student finalising a thesis, the call is structured to capture insights from across the ecosystem.
Why It Matters
Calls like this are easy to overlook, but they matter more than they look. Three reasons stand out:
1. It encourages evidence-based policymaking. Zambia's digital economy is being built in real time. Decisions on spectrum allocation, consumer protection, cybersecurity, and digital identity all benefit from local research — not just borrowed frameworks from elsewhere.
2. It provides a platform for researchers and innovators. Many brilliant pieces of research sit in university libraries and never see the light of day. A national call gives that work a public audience and a chance to inform the regulator's priorities.
3. It supports local ICT knowledge creation. Africa's digital future cannot be designed entirely from imported playbooks. Calls like this are how Zambia builds its own body of knowledge — written by Zambians, for Zambian realities.
Why This Connects to Digital Literacy
At Digital Literacy Consultants, we see calls like ZICTA's as part of the same transformation we work on every day. Training builds the skills. Skills generate the research. Research shapes the policy. Policy creates the conditions for more training. It's a loop — and the more people participate in it, the faster Zambia's digital economy matures.
If you're a researcher, student, or practitioner with work to share, this is your moment. Look out for ZICTA's official announcement for submission deadlines, formatting requirements, and thematic focus areas. And if you're a school or organisation that wants to strengthen your own research and innovation capacity, we'd love to support you.