Vice President Mutale Nalumango has urged young Zambians to move from seeking employment to creating jobs by investing in green businesses, innovation, value addition and technology.

Ms Nalumango says young people must be at the centre of the Grow Zambia Agenda by leading production, building businesses and developing technologies that can generate employment.

She was speaking in Lusaka today when she officially opened the two-day 2026 Youth Connekt National Summit being held under the theme: “Green Hustle: Cultivating Wealth, Creating Jobs.”

The Vice President said Zambia needs to move from farming to agribusiness, production to value addition and raw commodities to finished products, in order to create greater economic opportunities for young people.

She noted that youths can establish businesses in areas such as agricultural technology, mechanisation, irrigation, processing, packaging, transport, logistics, renewable energy and digital services.

Ms Nalumango also called for increased investment in technical and vocational training, digital and technological skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, green skills, apprenticeships and continuous skills development.

She explained that climate change, while presenting challenges to the economy, also provides opportunities for young people to develop businesses around solar-powered irrigation, water harvesting, renewable energy, recycling, waste management and climate-smart agriculture.

Ms Nalumango disclosed that the government will continue strengthening young people’s access to skills and entrepreneurship training, finance, productive assets, land, technology, irrigation, infrastructure, mentorship, markets and value-addition opportunities.

She further said Youth Resource Centres are also being developed into practical hubs for skills development, innovation, entrepreneurship and market access.

Ms Nalumango pointed out that the success of young people will contribute to the growth of Zambia and called for the Grow Zambia Agenda to also become a Grow Youth Agenda.

Speaking at the same event, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts Permanent Secretary Kangwa Chileshe urged young people to harness their skills and creativity to establish enterprises and create sustainable employment, particularly in emerging green sectors.

Mr Chileshe said agriculture and agro-processing, renewable energy, digital enterprise, creative industries and sport, provide avenues for young people to participate in economic activity.

He said partnerships between governments, the private sector, development partners and civil society are critical to helping young people acquire skills, access finance, enter markets and grow their businesses.

Mr Chileshe said the government alone cannot address all the challenges facing young people and called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders.

And Youth representative, Mwewa Mulonga has called for increased support and partnerships to enable young people to participate more actively in national development.

Ms Mulonga said young people have the potential to contribute to Zambia’s development through innovation, agriculture, technology and other sectors if provided with platforms and opportunities to showcase their capabilities.

She has since called on development partners and other stakeholders to support more young people to participate in such programmes and summits.

Ms Mulonga said young people should take advantage of platforms created for them and use their skills and capabilities to contribute to national development.

Meanwhile, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Deputy Resident Representative Laurent Rudasingwa said increased investment in skills, technology, entrepreneurship and access to finance is critical to enabling young people to create sustainable businesses and jobs.

Mr Rudasingwa noted that young people have a central role to play in driving inclusive economic growth as Zambia implements the Ninth National Development Plan and pursues the Grow Zambia Agenda.

He, however, noted that many young people continue to face challenges in accessing finance, markets, technology, skills development, mentorship and productive opportunities.

Mr Rudasingwa advised that addressing these constraints requires strong partnerships and deliberate investments that place young people at the centre of development efforts.

He said UNDP is supporting youth-focused programmes in job creation, economic diversification, human capital development, climate resilience, digital transformation and private sector development.

He further said the organisation is also supporting young entrepreneurs and innovators through mentorship, enterprise development, skills training, financial literacy and market linkages.

Mr Rudasingwa also urged young people to continuously develop their skills, embrace innovation, seek partnerships and pursue opportunities with confidence.

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