MACRA’s Nkoloma adds PhD to his ICT credentials

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) director general Mayamiko Nkoloma has been awarded a PhD after successfully defending his doctoral thesis at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).

His research examined digital health systems in Malawi.

Nkoloma is a well-known figure in the country’s technology sector — an entrepreneur and innovator who founded iMoSy, a start-up that has since grown into one of Malawi’s leading ICT companies.

He has also lectured in Information Technology at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), where he has helped train a new generation of ICT professionals.

His latest qualification adds to an academic record that already includes two Master’s degrees, giving him a combination of industry experience, scholarship and public service that is unusual among regulators.

That blend informs his approach at MACRA, where he has set out an ambition to shift the authority’s role from simply policing the sector to actively supporting its growth.

“My vision is to see MACRA positioned as a forward-looking, agile and trusted regulator that actively enables Malawi’s digital economy,” he said.

“Not only to control, but to unlock opportunities by ensuring that communications services are accessible, affordable, innovative and secure for all Malawians.”