United Capital Fertilizer will help bridge gap between education and industry —Syakalima

Education Minister, Douglas Syakalima, says the United Capital Fertiliser (UCF) plant will contribute significantly to Zambia’s goal of producing 10 million metric tonnes of maize annually, by supporting national fertiliser self-sufficiency.

Speaking during a tour of the facility on Thursday, Syakalima said the investment would benefit both the agriculture sector and the education system. He noted that the plant is expected to create over 400 jobs for chemical engineers and reduce Zambia’s reliance on imported fertiliser.

“This plant is not just producing fertiliser—it is helping us bridge the gap between education and industry,” he said in a statement on Friday.

He added that the initiative would support efforts to align university training with labour market demands, particularly in chemical engineering.

Syakalima claimed that: “This company alone will need at least 400 chemical engineers, and as the industry grows, that number could rise to 1,000. With more children entering the education system through the free education policy, we aim to produce graduates capable of taking up such technical roles.”

To build local capacity, he said UCF was working with higher learning institutions to develop training programmes tailored to its technical needs.

UCF Acting Chief Executive Officer, Roy Mwamba, said collaboration with the Ministry of Education and universities was key to developing a local workforce.

“We currently have a temporary operations contract with a foreign EPC contractor, but that’s not sustainable. Our goal is to train and replace expatriates with skilled Zambians,” said Mwamba

Once operational, he said the UCF plant would be the second-largest fertiliser facility in Africa, after Nigeria’s Dangote plant.

It is expected to enhance Zambia’s food security and reduce fertiliser import dependency.

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