President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera arrived back from the United Kingdom where among other engagements he attended the coronation of King Charles and held a number of bilateral meetings with leaders from across the socioeconomic and political spectrum.
Despite a backlash from some quarters on the President’s trip, there have been notable gains in regard to investment opportunities he has courted from interested firms.
President Chakwera is therefore returning home delighted and hopeful for the future as several investors have assured President Chakwera that they are coming to do business in Malawi.
Of particular note is the meeting the Malawi Head of State had with Davis Martin, Head of Nuveen Natural Capital who indicated his company’s interest not only to invest in the Malawi’s agricultural sector but to revolutionising it through value addition.
After the meeting with Martin, President Chakwera told journalists that he was hopeful that the company will honour its word by coming and invest in the country.
He said: “I have gladly learnt that they [Nuveen Natural Capital] also intend to initiate a robust value addition revolution to transform for the fortunes of our small scale farmers”
Apart from Nuveen Natural Capital, President Chakwera also held business talk with Aziz Tayub, the CEO of Poundstretcher, one of the chain stores in the country. During the meeting, Tayub told President Chakwera of his companies plan to come to Malawi and invest in Malawi.
The President updated the nation through his Facebook page by saying:” The businessman and his associates pointed out potential areas of investments in line with my administration’s agenda to revolutionise the agricultural sector through value addition and securing the markets”
Between his tight schedule, the Malawi Head of State also had an audience with the Chief Executive Officer of East African Power Limited who appraised him their intentions to invest in the energy sector by upscaling the power generation in the country.
Writing on his Facebook page President Chakwera said”: Yesterday, [Sunday] I engaged the Chief Executive Officer of East African Power LTD on their upcoming investment, the Mbongozi hydropower plant. This is the only way we can galvanise economic activity and scaling up productivity”
By the time of the coronation, President Chakwera had already held separate bilateral meetings South Korean Prime Minister Han-Huck-Soo and new Scottish First Minister Humza-Haroon Yousaf where he discussed matters aimed at strengthening ties between Malawi and those countries.
Enroute to Malawi, the President also met in Nairobi, Kimani Rugendo,a Kenyan investor who owns East Africa’s largest juice manufacturing company, Kevian Kenya Limited.
The Kenyan business tycoon expressed deep interest to come to Malawi and start his operations, a move that will create jobs and grow the export base.
Malawi stands to gain more from this trip because it was important in more than one way.