North-Western leads Zambia’s population growth as govt urges data-driven planning for youth

Zambia has highlighted the need for the African governments to integrate population dynamics into development planning to ensure that investments in infrastructure, and social services keep pace with their growing population.

Ministry of Finance and National Planning cited the population growth of North Western Province which recorded the highest average annual population growth rate in the country at 4.8 percent between 2010 and 2022.

Speaking in line with the commemoration of World Population Day celebrations in Solwezi, Ministry Director for Population and Development Pamela Kauseni said over the same period, the Province’s population increased by 75.8 percent.

Kauseni said Kalumbila and Solwezi notably were among the fastest growing districts in the country, recording average annual population growth rates of 8.1 percent respectively.

“These demographic changes, together with the Province’s rapid economic transformation, underscore the importance of integrating population dynamics into development planning to ensure that investments in infrastructure, social services and economic opportunities keep pace with the growing population,” she said.

Kauseni further acknowledged the valuable support of Marie Stopes Zambia, other cooperating partners, Civil Society Organisations, and all stakeholders such as the United Nations Population Fund Agency whose close collaboration had contributed to the success of various developmental activities in the country.

Similary, North Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Luckson Mulumbi, noted the need to make deliberate investments in young people, saying Zambia’s demographic advantage would only be realised through education, health, jobs and innovation.

Mulumbi warned that failure to invest in youth would have long-term consequences.

“If we provide young people with opportunities today, they will build the zambia we all desire tomorrow but if we fail to invest in them, we risk leaving behind a generation whose potential remains unrealised,” he said

Mulumbi said Solwezi was deliberately chosen to host the World Population Day because North-Western Province was one of Zambia’s fastest transforming regions, driven by mining, agriculture, commerce and infrastructure.

He noted that the growth had attracted people from across the country, increasing demand for schools, hospitals, housing, water, roads and jobs.

The DPS emphasized that population data should guide national planning especially that population data enables government to anticipate future demand for services before shortages occur.

“It helps us determine where schools should be built, where health facilities should be expanded, where roads should be constructed,” Mulumbi stated .

On education, Mulumbi said government remains committed to human capital development through the Eighth National Development Plan, citing the Free Education Policy, construction of classrooms, recruitment of teachers, and expansion of technical, vocational and entrepreneurship training.

He added that youth should move from being job seekers to job creators, stating that through the Constituency Development Fund, government was supporting youth skills development and entrepreneurship in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transport, ICT and tourism.

Elma Siamuzwe, a youth from Solwezi noted that many young people continued to face unemployment, limited access to capital, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, substance abuse, and inadequate access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services.

“Addressing these challenges requires collective action from Government, parents, traditional leaders, schools, faith-based organisations, civil society, the private sector, and young people themselves,” Siamuzwe said.

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