Zambia steps forward: Building a connected social protection system
Zambia charts a new path for digital social protection. At a Kitwe workshop, key institutions united to design a roadmap for integrated systems—promising faster services, stronger governance, and better protection for all.
26 September 2025
Kitwe, Zambia (ILO News) - From 14 to 21 September 2025, Zambia’s social protection institutions gathered in Kitwe to shape the future of digital service delivery among social security and social assistance institutions.
The workshop, held at Garden Court Hotel, was part of the Digital Convergence Initiative funded by European Union (EU) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), —a global effort to help countries build smarter, more inclusive systems.
The event brought together the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA), Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB), Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD), Smart Zambia Institute (SZI), and key ministries. Their mission: to develop a roadmap that links Zambia’s social protection systems, making services easier to access and more responsive to people’s needs.
“When systems speak to each other, people are served faster. That means everything,” said Ms. Loureen Kananyaba, ICT Officer from the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
Beyond improving access, the initiative promises stronger governance. As Ms. Mumbika Mweemba, Extension of Coverage Inspector from the National Pension Scheme Authority, explained, digital integration will help detect fraud, increase compliance, and boost revenue collection.
“When data is shared securely across institutions, we can track contributions better and ensure benefits go to the right people,” she said.
Mr. Munyinda, Manager from the Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board, added: “This will help us identify beneficiaries more accurately and reduce errors.”
Ms. Regina Mushabati, Assistant Director from the Smart Zambia Institute confirmed the government’s readiness to support the technical design, noting that Zambia’s e-governance framework already provides the legal foundation for this transformation.
The workshop concluded with a draft roadmap, the formation of a technical committee, and a shared commitment to move forward together.
“When institutions collaborate, we create systems that work better for everyone,” said Mr. Mwiya Katukula Muya, National Project Coordinator for the Digital Convergence Initiative at the International Labour Organization.
