The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) says young local entrepreneurs need the full support to acquire better equipment and access bigger markets.
CEEC Director General Likando Mukumbuta says the commission wants to achieve this through the industrial yards that are being constructed in selected districts in the country.
Mr. Mukumbuta said this in Lusaka when CEEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) in Lusaka.
He said Zambia’s young entrepreneurs have good ideas and need the support to crack bigger markets.
He said when the industrial yards are completed, the commission will prioritize entrepreneurs on the streets and help them in having access to changing technology and acquire better equipment for their entrepreneurships.
Mr. Mukumbuta acknowledged that manufacturing alone cannot help entrepreneurs to progress into the competitive global world but that this has to come with innovation.
Speaking at the same event, ZICTA Director General Patrick Mutimushi said the primary purpose of this understanding is to enhance collaboration between ZICTA and CEEC with respect to the development of and support towards innovation throughout the country.
“It is a well-known fact that technology and innovation development are an important agenda item not only for the Institutions, but government as well. This can be evidenced by the establishment of initiatives that support this cause, such as ZICTA’s ICT Innovation Programme, which is aimed at unravelling the potential of Zambian innovators who embrace the use ICT, and CEEC’s Value Chain Development Programme through which the institution aims at offering empowerment services to targeted citizens who wish to undertake ICT-related business projects,” he said.
Mr. Mutimushi says these programmes are both aimed at enhancing the quality of life in Zambia through various forms of citizen empowerment, and draw the nation a step closer to becoming a prosperous middle income country without leaving anyone behind as envisioned by Agenda 2030 and the Seventh National Development Plan.
“The partnership we are sealing today will no doubt, lead to building a cadre of young people who will anchor the development of the ICT sector and be change agents in the transition towards a digital society and economic development. Further, the MoU signing ceremony we are witnessing this morning will double, if not tripling efforts in fulfilling not only the Smart Zambia Vision of transforming Zambia into a prosperous and knowledge based developed country by 2064, but is also in line with Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 16, fostering innovation and partnerships for sustainable development,” he said.
“I am very confident that this collaboration, through combined efforts and commitment from both ourselves and the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission, will inspire local innovators to bring forth innovations that will be practical solutions to real problems that society faces.”

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