Zambia
Policy snapshots, In-depth policy analysis, Policy status updates, and Legal insights for Citizens, Policymakers, Researchers, Development Professionals, Infrastructure Development Enthusiasts.
The Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) 2022-2026, signed by President Hakainde Hichilema and coordinated by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, outlines Zambia’s strategic goals for 2022-2026. As the successor to the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) and the fourth in a series aimed at realising Vision 2030 – Zambia’s ambition to become a prosperous middle-income country, the 8NDP is crucial in setting the stage for this long-term vision.
The Plan aligns with Zambia’s global and regional commitments, including the UN SDGs, Agenda 2063, and the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). Developed during a challenging economic period exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 8NDP recognises persistent socio-economic issues such as limited economic diversification, high youth unemployment, poverty, inequality, and slow decentralisation.
To address these challenges and move closer to Vision 2030, the 8NDP focuses on four strategic pillars:
- Economic Transformation and Job Creation
- Human and Social Development, Environmental Sustainability
- Good Governance
The cornerstone of the plan is ‘Economic Transformation and Job Creation,’ which aims to boost private sector investment and enhance trade, particularly in agriculture, mining, tourism, and manufacturing. These sectors will be supported by investments in energy, transport, water, ICT, and science and technology to foster digital transformation and innovation.
The theme of the 8NDP, “Socio-Economic Transformation for Improved Livelihoods,” reflects Zambia’s commitment to enhancing economic efficiency and competitiveness, with the ultimate goal of sustainably improving the living standards of its citizens. The Government is committed to reducing poverty, vulnerability, and inequality by enhancing social protection programmes and improving the welfare of the most disadvantaged groups, including the elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Key actions will focus on expanding social security, strengthening disaster management, and addressing gender-based violence, child abuse, teenage pregnancies, and violence against vulnerable populations. Efforts will also prioritise child protection, ending child marriages, and providing PWD-friendly infrastructure to ensure inclusivity and access across all sectors.
Some of the key reforms identified under the 8NDP are:
Tourism
- Revamp the tourism sector and create job opportunities for local communities through cultural activities.
- Develop the Northern and Southern Circuits, focusing on Kasaba Bay and Liuwa National Park.
- Enhance infrastructure development in tourism areas.
- Establish a supportive regulatory and licensing framework to attract private investment.
- Leverage upgraded airports and increased hotel and conference facilities.
- Achieve an average annual tourism sector growth rate of at least 4.5% and increase international tourist arrivals to 3 million by 2026.
- Boost domestic tourism, increasing visits to national parks and tourism sites to 100,000 and 300,000, respectively.
Transportation
The policy aims to position Zambia as a regional transport and logistics hub by improving and modernising road, rail, air, and water transport infrastructure. This will include efforts to open up rural areas for development, enhance cross-border trade, and increase local community participation in the economy. The government will focus on strengthening local planning and development capacities, and will ensure that at least 30% of bulk cargo is shifted from roads to railways through infrastructure improvements. The overall goal is to achieve an average annual growth rate of 5.5% in the transport and logistics sub-sector, increasing the volume of passengers and cargo transported by various modes. This entails:
- Aviation development
- Road development and maintenance
- Rail development and maintenance
- Inland water transport development and maintenance
- Inland dry ports development
- Trade centre development
- Warehousing development.
Electricity
The policy seeks to enhance the efficiency of the electricity sector by increasing generation capacity and promoting renewable and green energy sources, as well as expanding rural electrification. Reforms will attract private investment and improve ZESCO Limited’s operations. The government aims to diversify energy sources, support industrialisation, and reduce transmission losses through infrastructure upgrades, including major interconnector projects. By 2026, the sector aims to boost generation capacity to 4,457 MW and increase the proportion of renewable energy to 10% of total capacity, facilitated by fifteen (15) new renewable off-grid projects. This entails:
- Electricity generation
- Electricity transmission and distribution
- Energy efficiency promotion
- Off-grid energy solutions
- Green and renewable energy.
Sanitation
The policy aims to significantly improve sanitation services nationwide by enhancing financing for sewerage and solid waste management infrastructure, promoting sustainable sanitation practices, and increasing personal hygiene awareness. By implementing these measures, the government targets to raise the proportion of households with access to improved sanitation from 37.2% to 55% in rural areas and from 77.7% to 90% in urban areas by 2026. Additionally, the government plans to establish a sustainable financing mechanism and increase the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to support local and international investments in water supply and sanitation programs, thereby addressing developmental inequalities. This entails:
- Infrastructure development and maintenance
- Solid waste management
- Sanitation and hygiene promotion
- Investment promotion
Commentary
Zambia’s Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) is a good policy framework that is aligned with the country’s long-term vision for socio-economic transformation. It covers critical areas of infrastructure development. The plan sets out ambitious targets across each infrastructure sector. However, the plan lacks a defined action plan for its its successful execution. With proper execution, the 8NDP can significantly improve Zambia’s socio-economic landscape and progress towards becoming a prosperous middle-income country by 2030.