The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), has announced that it has signed a master service framework agreement with the US-based technology firm, Cybaston Institute of Technology, for the implementation of a Digital Fast Track (DFT) program in Liberia.
Under the agreement, Cybaston will implement a series of activities aimed at addressing the digital deficit the country currently faces.
Cybaston will conduct a comprehensive assessment of Liberia’s current digital capabilities and design a tailored action plan to address the country’s technology gaps.
During the five-year period of the agreement, Cybaston will support the development, coordination, and implementation of a connection to an undersea cable to enhance Liberia’s international connectivity, redundancy, and bandwidth. The connection will also aim to position Liberia as a regional digital hub.
The undersea connectivity will increase Liberia’s internet resilience and connectivity, with an additional capacity of up to 1 Tbps. Cybaston will also design, build, and implement a scalable data center to host the consolidated portfolio of existing and future e-government services and public infrastructure.
The firm will implement selected digital government services to enhance citizen interaction, streamline business processes, and modernize public sector operations, including services such as e-visa, e-taxes, and e-tourism, among others.
Cybaston plans to develop and implement robust cybersecurity measures to protect Liberia’s digital assets, including citizen data and the critical infrastructures to be developed during the period.
The firm will establish a security operations center with capabilities to monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats. A computer security incident response team will also be established to manage and mitigate security incidents associated with the digital infrastructure to be established.
Cybaston will hand over the digital capabilities to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications at the end of the five-year agreement period in September 2029.
Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, who signed on behalf of the Government of Liberia, hailed the agreement as a major milestone in Liberia’s drive to enter and transform the digital age.
At the same time, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has received the Alpha Merit Award from the Fraternity Group Alpha Phi Alpha in New York.
The award is based on merit and service and is given to members who make significant contributions to their societies and nations.
President Boakai expressed gratitude to the group for the recognition they granted him and was glad to be the group’s first member elected President of a sovereign nation.
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men on December 4, 1906.
It established the Eta Epsilon Lambda chapter in Liberia, the first African chapter of the esteemed fraternity, on October 6, 1958, in Monrovia, Liberia. President Boakai has been a member of the fraternity for many years.
According to a MICAT press release, the fraternal organization was instrumental in helping Liberia fight the Ebola Virus Disease in 2014 and 2015. President Boakai was also grateful that the group continues to engage in important social service work in Liberia and around the world.
