Zanzibar to Train 600 Officials in AI and Cybersecurity
Tanzania · TECHNOLOGY
Key Facts
—New MoU: On 16 August 2026, Zanzibar’s Ministry of Communications. Information Technology and Innovation signed a three-year deal with Emerson Education Institute to train public servants in AI and cybersecurity.
—Initial cohort: An initial 600 officials will be trained, with classes capped at 50 students each.
—India training: About 185 Zanzibar auditor staff are due for cybersecurity and AI training. The partnership with India’s Supreme Audit Institution runs two to three years.
—Two phases: The first phase will train 45 staff at the IIT Madras campus in Bweleo, Zanzibar. 30 will travel to IIT Madras in Chennai and the National Audit Academy in New Delhi.
—UNESCO programme: From 14 to 16 July 2026, UNESCO and the Zanzibar Correctional Facility trained 32 correctional officers in AI. Digital tools and cyber safety at Chuo cha Mafunzo.
—Budget pledge: Zanzibar is allocating 53.39 billion Tanzanian shillings to digital transformation in 2026/27. That is about US$20.2 million at 2,645.24 shillings to the dollar on 16 August 2026.
—Tether MoU: In July 2025, the Zanzibar e-Government Authority signed a deal with Tether on blockchain education. With Tether only evaluating support for integration into the ZanMalipo payments gateway.
—Digital zone: The Zanzibar Autonomous Zone, announced in February 2025 with ThreeFold. Was billed by the partners as the world’s first fully automated Special Digital Economic Zone.
Zanzibar signed a three-year deal on 16 August 2026 to train public servants in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. With 600 officials in the first cohort.
Zanzibar signs AI training deal with Emerson Education
The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar’s Ministry of Communications, Information Technology and Innovation signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Unguja.
Minister Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga and Emerson director Faizan Majidhusain formalised the pact, reported by The Citizen on 17 August 2026.
Classes will be capped at 50 students each, covering AI and cybersecurity skills.
The ministry’s Director of Cybersecurity and Data Protection, Khalfan Mohamed Othman, also attended the signing.
India partnership targets auditor skills (April 2026)
Zanzibar’s Office of the Controller and Auditor General announced a separate partnership in April 2026. It works with India’s Supreme Audit Institution to build staff expertise in cybersecurity.
CAG Dr Othman Abass Ali said the collaboration addresses emerging technology challenges, naming AI, data systems and cybersecurity as key concerns.
The training will run in two phases, with 45 staff in the first phase at the IIT Madras campus in Bweleo, Zanzibar.
Thirty will travel in the second phase to IIT Madras in Chennai and the National Audit Academy in New Delhi.
About 185 employees will benefit over two to three years, per Daily News, Tanzania’s government-owned newspaper.
UNESCO brings AI ethics to correctional officers (July 2026)
UNESCO Dar es Salaam and the Zanzibar Correctional Facility ran a three-day programme in July. It trained 32 correctional officers at Chuo cha Mafunzo from 14 to 16 July 2026.
The course covered cyber safety, prompt engineering, AI-assisted research and responsible AI use aligned with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.
Participants learned to detect AI-generated media and to use offline AI solutions for secure environments.
Commissioner Col. Khamis Bakari Khamis oversaw the initiative, which included action plans for integrating AI into daily operations.
Digital economy strategy underpins the training push
Zanzibar’s public-sector AI training sits on top of a strategic framework, including the Zanzibar Digital Government Strategy 2023–2027.
Zanzibar’s Five Year Development Plan 2021-2025 identified the creative and digital economy as a priority area for economic transformation.
For the 2026/2027 financial year, Zanzibar is allocating 53.39 billion Tanzanian shillings to digital transformation. About US$20.2 million at 2,645.24 shillings to the dollar on 16 August 2026.
Minister Soraga presented the budget on 2 June 2026 at Chukwani.
Crypto and Web3 projects raise the stakes for Zanzibar AI cybersecurity
The training drive links to large-scale digital projects, including the Zanzibar Autonomous Zone, announced in February 2025 with ThreeFold.
The partners’ own press release billed it as the world’s first fully automated Special Digital Economic Zone.
In July 2025, the Zanzibar e-Government Authority signed an MoU with Tether on blockchain and digital-asset education.
Tether said it would only evaluate supporting integration into ZanMalipo, the government payments gateway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new MoU between Zanzibar and Emerson Education Institute?
It is a three-year deal signed on 16 August 2026. An initial 600 public servants will train in AI and cybersecurity, in classes capped at 50.
How many Zanzibar public servants will receive AI training through the India partnership?
Around 185 employees are projected to benefit over two to three years. With 45 staff in the first phase in Zanzibar and 30 in the second phase in India.
What is the Zanzibar Autonomous Zone?
Announced in February 2025 with ThreeFold, it was billed as the world’s first fully automated Special Digital Economic Zone.
How much is Zanzibar spending on digital transformation in 2026/2027?
Zanzibar is allocating 53.39 billion Tanzanian shillings, about US$20.2 million at 2,645.24 shillings to the dollar on 16 August 2026.
Connected Coverage
For more on how digital infrastructure is reshaping African economies, read Africa: The New Scramble.
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