Malawi to benefit from UK’s innovation, technology – Blueprint
The day long UK-Africa Investment Summit held on in London, United Kingdom (UK) has set the pace to using UK’s expertise and innovation in technology, clean energy, infrastructure and finance which can feed the continent’s demand for sustainable growth.
Prime
Minister Boris Johnson highlighted the U.K.’s “expertise and innovation in
technology, clean growth, infrastructure and finance which can feed the continent’s
demand for sustainable growth.”
Malawi is
among the 21 African countries participating at the summit whose leader,
President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika was in attendance.
Malawi
government has identified various projects to be marketed to the UK through the
Malawi Investment Forum which will strengthen UK’s partnership with African
nations to create jobs and boost mutual prosperity.
Prime
Minister, Boris Johnson who hosted the summit which has brought together
government and business representatives from the UK and Africa, inaugurated the
summit with a commitment to mobilising new, secure and substantial jobs, boost
access to education, improve public services and shape the youth’s future by
giving them opportunity.
Deals worth
billions of pounds have been announced which will drive jobs and growth in all
parts of UK and Africa.
One of the
deals is the UK’s expertise and experience to help Africa transition towards
renewable and sustainable forms of clean energy.
Commenting
on the energy production in rural areas, minister of local government and rural
development, Ben Phiri told Malawi News Agency (MANA) after the opening of the
summit in London on Monday that countries such as Malawi cannot develop without
the people on the ground and as such local councils need to find ways of
ensuring that there is sustainable energy.
“We cannot
talk about development without the people on the ground. If we are to develop
we need to identify areas that can bring in investors and as such local
councils need to venture into electricity generation projects,” he said.
He cited
Thyolo District Council as one of the councils which has an energy project
where it will be generating 40 megawatts of electrical energy.
The summit
has brought together businesses, governments and international institutions to
showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across
Africa.
It supports
job creation on the continent and Africa’s economic development and help build
a strong partnership between the UK and African nations for prosperity.
Nyasa Times
Reported
that the summit involved a number of sessions with speakers from governments and
businesses from the UK and Africa and it was the first time governments and
businesses from UK and Africa to have come together for such an event.