Zambia: The Zambia government continues Working with the Church to empower Summit Initiative is an inspiration of hope to transform youths in creating innovative opportunities, states Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati.
Speaking during the launch of an initiative dubbed Empower Summit, a brainchild of the Northmead Assembly of God, the Minister said the initiative will empower the youth as demonstrated in many supported Church philanthropy activities.
He commended the Northmead Assembly of God Church leadership for playing a critical role in serving the needy through its charity programmes as evidently nurturing a formerly street child, Madaliso Lungu, now a productive and promising professional icon in Society.
The Minister said the Government is practically working with the innovators and earlier devised mechanisms to remove rigidities so as to ease and provide effective services that are currently delivered in a practical and enabling innovators’ working environment.
He said among many initiatives Government had provided quick acquisition of innovators’ entrepreneurial licenses, discarding the earlier long-awaited processes, slashing Courier fees by over fifty percent, and raising over a hundred percent Entrepreneurial – Courier Services resulting in more job opportunities.
He said the Government has also been investing in the digital infrastructure to expand connectivity to all economic sectors in the country and the region, hence creating an endless accessed business platform that has today turned Zambia into a Regional innovation hub.
The Minister similarly indicated that the local young people are breaking new barriers and competitively raising over fifty – eight Million Dollars from the innovation ecosystem and embarked on a dubbed “Series A” rolled out mechanism, hence conquering with a Zambian regional representation.
The Minister commended the Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZANACO) for creating Startups that are destined to record entrepreneurial Job creation and instillation of hope for the youth. The Minister equally elated Bongo Hive Innovation Hub, a key enabler embracing partnership in the nurturing of Startups and determined to deliver in the innovation ecosystem steering hope to create a great innovation path.
He encouraged young potential innovators to thrust aside the misconception of standard setting yardstick to innovation breakthroughs as the notion leads to undetermined growth and success.
He, however, called on the young people to implement their ideas on a discipline course, hard work, perseverance, fearlessness, and carry an appealing driving force to solve problems, seize opportunities and steer a path of hope.
The Minister called on the Northmead Assembly of God to stand firm and remain connected in the growth of the young people’s innovative ecosystem, as the Government was willing and ready to work with the Church and macro country.
An overseer of the Northmead Assembly of God, Bishop Joshua HK Banda, said the Empower Summit is a divine response that will resolve to meet human needs and bring about transformation to households.
He said the convergence at a scheduled Summit in June 2024 will encompass extraordinary minds and unwavering faith to create a Sanctuary where the best and brightest Innovative Ideas will be nurtured through mentorship, facilitated with capacity building through formal training, and the Funding to develop prototypes into commercially viable products, and also creating linkages for participants to access Global Markets.
He said the Youth Demographic highlight the importance of investing in Zambian youth with the right level of support, as young people can play a vital role in Zambia’s Development and Prosperity.
The Northmead Assembly of God Overseer explained that the incubation process is deliberately structured to bridge the gap from the spark of an Idea to the Flame of Commercial success amongst young people. He said the Summit stands as a beacon of hope and a testament to firm belief in the boundless potential of Zambia’s youth and Africa in general.
Dr. Banda said the Church has, over the years, conducted an outreach scheme – a programme referred to as Lazarous Project that has been helping to rehabilitate thousands of street children.
He said among the many, the Lazarous Project identified Madliso Lungu, located among the first 20 young people from the streets of Lusaka and received support through to the University where he pursued a his Bachelor’s Degree in Production Management and now engaged in the Church foundation activities.
ZANACO representative and Chief Operations Officer Vincent Chunga said the Bank believes in true empowerment that begins with a shift in mindset and understanding the power of changed perspectives, hence supporting emerging initiatives and the young, innovative leadership that promotes growth in communities.
Mr Chunga said in the rapidly evolving world innovation was key to driving progress and creating a positive impact.