….Focuses on Improving Living Standards…
The Editor Zambia
President Hakainde Hichilema has set an ambitious agenda for his second term, declaring that the next five years will focus on translating economic stability into tangible improvements in the living standards of ordinary Zambians. 
Addressing the First Session of the 14th National Assembly in Lusaka, President Hichilema outlined a development programme centred on education, healthcare, job creation, infrastructure, digital transformation, and economic growth.
His message was clear: having spent the first five years stabilising the economy, the New Dawn administration must now accelerate growth and ensure that its benefits reach households across the country.
The President emphasised that sustainable development requires wealth creation before redistribution, arguing that Zambia cannot overcome poverty by merely sharing limited resources.
Instead, the country must expand production, attract investment, promote trade, and create opportunities for citizens to participate meaningfully in the economy.
One of the most significant announcements was the commitment to establish a skills training college in each of Zambia’s 116 districts and a public university in every province that does not yet have one.
These measures are intended to bring education closer to communities, reduce the cost of accessing training, and equip young people with practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
President Hichilema stressed that academic performance should not determine a young person’s entire future.
Vocational training in areas such as plumbing, carpentry, and bricklaying can provide viable career paths for those whose strengths lie outside conventional academic subjects.
The government will also expand apprenticeship and internship programmes, equip training institutions, and continue implementing the competence-based curriculum.
These initiatives complement the administration’s investment in free education, teacher recruitment, and classroom infrastructure.
The President reported that more than 42,000 teachers had been recruited, and 2.6 million learners were brought back into classrooms.
Such measures demonstrate the importance of investing in human capital as the foundation for long-term national development.
Healthcare is another priority. Having highlighted the recruitment of more than 18,000 health workers and improvements in maternal and child health services, President Hichilema announced plans for a healthcare city in Lusaka.
The proposed development will combine a modern hospital with specialist facilities, clinics, and supporting infrastructure, with the ambition of positioning Zambia as a regional destination for medical services.
He also acknowledged persistent challenges in medicine supply, signalling that the government was working to address longstanding weaknesses in the health sector.
Water, sanitation, and housing were featured prominently in the address. The President called for continued investment in dams, water treatment facilities, distribution networks, sewerage systems, and rural water schemes. He also challenged local authorities to prioritise cleanliness and sanitation, stressing that preventing diseases such as cholera requires collective responsibility.
His emphasis on better-planned towns, affordable housing, and expanded social cash transfers reflects an understanding that development must improve both the economic prospects and the daily experiences of citizens.
The President further highlighted the opportunities presented by digital technology. With mobile connectivity reportedly reaching more than 92 per cent of the population, the government intends to expand digital public services, introduce the national digital identity system, and strengthen cybersecurity, artificial intelligence education and local data infrastructure.
The objective is to ensure that technology becomes a tool for job creation, business development, and improved public service delivery rather than merely a convenience for urban residents.
Economic transformation will also require greater accountability. President Hichilema warned that public officers must demonstrate measurable results instead of simply reporting for work.
He called for stronger oversight of public institutions and insisted that corruption would not be tolerated, regardless of political affiliation.
He also reminded Members of Parliament that public resources must serve citizens, urging them to consider national priorities when discussing their own allowances.
The increase in Constituency Development Fund allocations to K40 million per constituency annually, he said, presents significant opportunities that must be matched by responsible expenditure and effective implementation.
The President defended the ambitious targets under the Grow Zambia Agenda, including increasing maize production to 10 million tonnes, expanding electricity generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts, attracting five million tourists and increasing copper production to three million tonnes.
He also described a US$1 billion beef export industry as achievable.
These targets are intended to mobilise the country around production, investment, and export growth. However, their success will depend on sustained investment, reliable energy supplies, improved infrastructure, and effective cooperation between the government and the private sector.
President Hichilema also urged the country to prepare for the potential effects of a strong El Niño, including the possibility of floods and drought in different areas.
His call for coordinated planning underlines the importance of anticipating crises rather than responding only after damage has occurred.
Perhaps the most consequential announcement concerned the 2027 National Budget. The President promised new legal measures to encourage capital formation and investment, warning that some financing proposals might appear unusual.
He said Zambia could not depend indefinitely on donations when countries with limited natural resources had demonstrated the ability to attract investment.
Ultimately, the President’s address presented a second-term programme built around a transition from economic stabilisation to broader prosperity.
Its success will be measured not simply by the targets announced in Parliament, but by whether families experience better incomes, young people find meaningful opportunities, businesses expand, and public services improve.
The challenge now extends beyond the executive. Parliament, local authorities, the private sector, and citizens must contribute to delivering the national agenda.
As President Hichilema emphasised, development requires patriotism, peace, and unity.
The coming 2027 budget will provide an important indication of how the government intends to finance its ambitions. For ordinary Zambians, the central expectation is straightforward: economic progress must increasingly translate into better living standards and a more secure future.
