Reported by: The Agency
Date: 12th September, 2025.
Lusaka, Zambia.
President Hakainde Hichilema today opened the 5th Session of the 13th National Assembly, delivering a progress report on the New Dawn Government’s achievements over the past four years. His address highlighted significant strides in infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, mining, energy and economic reforms, while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and national transformation.
The Head of State announced that more than 8,400 additional bed spaces will be created across Zambia’s eight public universities to ease accommodation challenges faced by students. He further noted that over 2,800 classroom blocks have been constructed nationwide under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) underscoring his administration’s investment in education at all levels.
President Hichilema reiterated the New Dawn Government’s vision to ensure that each province has an international-standard airport, a move he said would stimulate tourism, trade and global connectivity. On roads, he disclosed that since 2021, the government has rehabilitated 2,450 kilometers of rural roads, with the upgrading of the Monze–Niko Road to the bituminous standard set for completion by November this year.
Tourism has registered remarkable growth under the New Dawn Government. International arrivals surged from 554,000 in 2021 to 2.2 million in 2025, signaling Zambia’s growing appeal as a regional and global destination.
Mining and Economic Diversification
On the mining front, President Hichilema reaffirmed Zambia’s ambition to reach 3 million metric tonnes of copper production by 2031, a goal many once doubted.
However, he stressed that mining companies must not enrich themselves at the expense of the environment, declaring: “Mining companies must never be allowed to profit while destroying the land that sustains us.”
To boost entrepreneurship, the government has reduced interest rates on loans for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). President Hichilema also revealed that reforms are underway to enhance innovation and broaden participation of ordinary Zambians in the capital market, enabling citizens to benefit more directly from national economic growth.
Addressing one of the country’s pressing challenges, the President assured the nation that government is working tirelessly to resolve persistent power outages, which have disrupted productivity and affected households. As part of these efforts, 1,000 megawatts of solar power will by December, 2025, be fed into the national grid, strengthening energy security and supporting Zambia’s growing economy.
In closing, President Hichilema emphasized that the progress recorded so far is part of a broader transformation agenda aimed at delivering tangible benefits to Zambians across all sectors of the economy.
