North-West urged to partner with investors
By Pelekelo Liswaniso
FORMER World Bank country manager Ohene Nyanin once described the North-Western Province of Zambia as an awakening giant in the Zambian economy.
This is because of the recent economic activities particularly the booming mining industry from the production of copper at Kansanshi and Lumwana mine near Solwezi. Lumwana is now considered to be the largest copper mine in Africa.
The copper mines have attracted many people with various business and investment interests and have made Solwezi in particular to become one of the fastest growing towns in Zambia.
Only a few years ago, some workers were reluctant to be transferred to North-Western Province because of its underdevelopment and many considered it a demotion to be transferred there.
But this is no longer the case as the province is quickly graduating into the new Coppperbelt of Zambia.
The North-Western Province is endowed with abundant natural resources waiting to be developed and these include large quantities of various mineral deposits, woodlands, large tracts of fertile land and good rainfall, rivers and above all, hard working people.
All these provide good opportunities for investments and other economic activities.
It is with background that we join the call by North-Western Province permanent Secretary Dr Eustern Mambwe to the people in the province to take advantage of the investment opportunities by forming partnerships with foreign investors.
Speaking when he officially opened the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) business climate investment workshop in Solwezi over the weekend Dr Mambwe said it is up to the people of the province to stand up and be counted in national development.
We agree with Dr Mambwe that for too long, this part of Zambia has been called a cinderella province and with increased investment in the province, the people need to take up the challenge and be counted by partnering with investors.
Dr Mambwe said Government is convinced that the development of the country will largely depend on the North-Western Province as the area holds 50 per cent of minerals.
The province is the second largest in the country and holds 52 per cent of water in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), which is not put to good use.
Furthermore, the province is endowed with rich biodiversity and wildlife areas that remain largely untapped, for example, the West Lunga National Park and its adjacent Chibwika-Ntambo, Lukwakwa and Musele-Matebo Game Management Areas (GMAs), which are undeveloped and have been depleted but hold promise for recovery.
There is definitely need to ensure that the vast resource endowments do not just remain potential opportunities but become real and actual investments for the benefit of the province.
We commend traditional rulers in the province for the role they are playing in attracting investment because the country stands to benefit from productive relationships between community leaders and investors.
With such concerted efforts from community leaders and other stakeholders, the province is certainly headed to be an economic giant that it should be.
FORMER World Bank country manager Ohene Nyanin once described the North-Western Province of Zambia as an awakening giant in the Zambian economy.
This is because of the recent economic activities particularly the booming mining industry from the production of copper at Kansanshi and Lumwana mine near Solwezi. Lumwana is now considered to be the largest copper mine in Africa.
The copper mines have attracted many people with various business and investment interests and have made Solwezi in particular to become one of the fastest growing towns in Zambia.
Only a few years ago, some workers were reluctant to be transferred to North-Western Province because of its underdevelopment and many considered it a demotion to be transferred there.
But this is no longer the case as the province is quickly graduating into the new Coppperbelt of Zambia.
The North-Western Province is endowed with abundant natural resources waiting to be developed and these include large quantities of various mineral deposits, woodlands, large tracts of fertile land and good rainfall, rivers and above all, hard working people.
All these provide good opportunities for investments and other economic activities.
It is with background that we join the call by North-Western Province permanent Secretary Dr Eustern Mambwe to the people in the province to take advantage of the investment opportunities by forming partnerships with foreign investors.
Speaking when he officially opened the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) business climate investment workshop in Solwezi over the weekend Dr Mambwe said it is up to the people of the province to stand up and be counted in national development.
We agree with Dr Mambwe that for too long, this part of Zambia has been called a cinderella province and with increased investment in the province, the people need to take up the challenge and be counted by partnering with investors.
Dr Mambwe said Government is convinced that the development of the country will largely depend on the North-Western Province as the area holds 50 per cent of minerals.
The province is the second largest in the country and holds 52 per cent of water in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), which is not put to good use.
Furthermore, the province is endowed with rich biodiversity and wildlife areas that remain largely untapped, for example, the West Lunga National Park and its adjacent Chibwika-Ntambo, Lukwakwa and Musele-Matebo Game Management Areas (GMAs), which are undeveloped and have been depleted but hold promise for recovery.
There is definitely need to ensure that the vast resource endowments do not just remain potential opportunities but become real and actual investments for the benefit of the province.
We commend traditional rulers in the province for the role they are playing in attracting investment because the country stands to benefit from productive relationships between community leaders and investors.
With such concerted efforts from community leaders and other stakeholders, the province is certainly headed to be an economic giant that it should be.
posted by aydpels @ 3:48 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home