By 
President Hakainde Hichilema marked National Youth Day celebrations in Solwezi on Thursday with the announcement that a new university would be built in the district, following the allocation of 50 hectares of land by Chief Kapijipanga.
Hichilema said the institution—part of government plans to expand higher education access across six provinces—would help address Zambia’s shortage of specialised skills and reduce dependence on foreign labour in sectors such as mining, agriculture, technology and manufacturing.
He said the allocation of land demonstrated strong support from traditional leadership for the government’s vision of widening access to tertiary education.
“There is no doubt that the planned national university will create opportunities for young people in the province to pursue higher education closer to home and contribute meaningfully to national development,” Hichilema said.
This year’s Youth Day is being commemorated under the theme “Arise and Soar.”
The President urged young people to tap into existing empowerment channels, including government-backed entrepreneurship programmes and digital tools designed to connect them to economic opportunities.
He encouraged youths to make use of the “Imisepela Job Opportunities and Business Networking Application,” saying digital platforms were opening new avenues for business partnerships, skills development and job creation.
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Hichilema said Zambia’s young population must position itself as a “generation of game changers” by taking advantage of reforms aimed at strengthening the small business sector, expanding access to finance and modernising the economy.
He added that government was implementing policies to ensure youths played a more central role in national development.
Representing the country’s youth, Elizabeth Ngoma called for greater youth participation in mining, agriculture and manufacturing, saying these sectors offered some of the most promising opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
“More young people are needed in key sectors such as mining, manufacturing and agriculture,” she said.
Youth, Sport and Arts Minister Elvis Nkandu urged young people to embrace hard work, discipline and innovation, saying prosperity would only be achieved through determination and sustained effort.
He noted that the government was scaling up youth-targeted programmes to support small enterprises, talent development and job creation.
Young people, civic leaders and community representatives attended the provincial celebrations in Solwezi, which included performances, exhibitions and showcases of youth-led enterprises.
The event forms part of nationwide commemorations highlighting the role of young people in Zambia’s democracy and economic transformation.
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