Lilongwe: COMESA has opened a four-day stakeholder consultation in Lilongwe to shape the region's approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Inclusion (DI).According to African Press Organization, the consultation is led under the guidance of Malawi's Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Dr. Shadric Namalomba. COMESA Director of Infrastructure and Logistics, Dr. Bernard Dzawanda, stated that the meeting will collect inputs from various sectors, including the public and private sectors, academia, development partners, and civil society. The aim is to develop regional AI, Digital Inclusion Strategies, Action Plans, and relevant model policies and regulatory frameworks.The consultations are part of the IDEA Programme, supported by the World Bank and the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP). Dr. Dzawanda emphasized that AI has the potential to transform public service delivery, agriculture, healthcare, and trade. However, it also raises governance and ethical issues that nece ssitate coordinated regional responses. Digital transformation will only be beneficial to the region when all citizens have equitable access to digital technologies.Dr. Namalomba stressed the importance of Malawi shifting from merely consuming emerging technologies to developing AI-enabled solutions that align with its development needs. He posed the critical question of how Malawi can capture a meaningful share of the value created by AI.The Minister also highlighted that AI could significantly enhance agriculture, healthcare, education, and climate resilience, building on digital foundations like DMAP and the National Data Centre. He underscored the need for digital inclusion to remain central to Malawi's digital transformation, ensuring that AI benefits all citizens, particularly women, youth, rural communities, and persons with disabilities.The workshop is divided into two workstreams: AI readiness, use cases, and regulations; and digital inclusion, focusing on connectivity, skills, affordability, a ccessible services, and digital trust and safety. Input from Malawi will contribute to regional consultations aimed at shaping practical, evidence-based COMESA digital policies, model guidelines, and regulatory frameworks tailored to member states' varying levels of digital maturity.