ZIA warns of fragmented development bottlenecks

By BUUMBA CHIMBULU

THE Zambia Institute of Architects (ZIA) has called for urgent consolidation of national planning systems and digital infrastructure, warning that fragmented approaches to development are limiting efficiency, safety and economic potential.

ZIA president Musunka Silungwe said the country’s infrastructure challenges are largely driven by poor integration between key systems, particularly in transport, trade facilitation, and urban development.

He noted that the country’s one-stop border posts are not effectively linked to Multi-Facility Economic Zones (MFEZs), despite many of them being tax-free and duty-free investment areas.

This disconnect, he said, continues to slow down trade flows and reduce the effectiveness of industrial zones.

Mr Silungwe also pointed to the absence of a national logistics tracking system capable of monitoring bulk goods across tolls, checkpoints, and surveillance infrastructure.

This, he said, has contributed to congestion, road damage, accidents, and fatalities caused by heavy truck traffic on already strained roads.

“Sixty years after independence, Zambia still does not have a fully uninterrupted road network connecting regions without major damaged or incomplete sections,” he said, adding that these same roads carry critical mining, agricultural, construction, and tourism traffic.

Mr Silungwe called for stronger collaboration between government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and the private sector, proposing the creation of a Common Data Environment (CDE) to serve as a unified national information hub.

Such a system, he said, would reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and accelerate decision-making.

Mr Silungwe also warned that poorly coordinated infrastructure development is already producing unintended consequences, including urban flooding, overstretched water and electricity systems, and inadequate waste management.

To address this, he proposed a comprehensive national masterplan supported by digital twin technology to model cities and infrastructure systems.

This would allow planners, engineers, economists, and environmental experts to operate from a shared “source of truth,” reducing institutional silos.

He cited existing initiatives such as Smart Zambia, ZamStats, universities, and private sector innovations as foundations that could be integrated into a 9th National Development Plan aligned with the digital and AI era.