Zambia tipped for `Best State Strategy` award

B5 USINESS REPORTER ZAMBIA has been nominated

the award of ` Best State Strategy` in Africa over its management and harnessing of opportunities in the economy and efforts in attracting foreign investment.

The awards are organised by the Africa Investments Forum and Awards which was inaugurated last year.

It is supported by the French captains of industry namely the Council of French Investments in Africa (CIAN), the French Private Equity Association (AFIC), Paris Europlace, Agence Franç aise de Dé veloppement (AFD), Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables, among others.

Zambia has since been invited to submit its nomination to the secretariat of Africa Investments Forum and Awards to be reviewed by the jury of 80 highprofile experts from public and private sectors. This is contained in communication sent to the Zambian Embassy in France by the secretariat of Africa Investments Forum and Awards based in Paris.

The event is dedicated to business opportunities on the African continent in various fields such as energy, infrastructure and city planning, mergers and acquisitions, growth strategies and real estate industries.

The Africa Investment Forum explained that the assessment would be based on the consistency and quality of investment.

It would also include its evolution over the last three years, the innovation ability as well as the corporate social responsibility vision.

The winners of the prestigious award would be announced at the next Africa Investment Forum and Awards slated for November 8, this year in Paris.

Other countries that were preselected in the ` Best State Strategy` were South Africa, Benin, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia and Ghana.

The Zambian government has made tremendous efforts in realigning the economy through diversification from dependent mainly on copper exports as the main revenue earner.

Under the Seventh National Development Plan to run from 2017 to 2021, the government aims at developing Zambia to a prosperous middle-income nation by 2030. The government has prioritised agriculture, tourism, energy, infrastructure development and manufacturing as key growth sectors.

Zambia aims to achieve job creation, address poverty while reducing the people’s socioeconomic vulnerability, reduce developmental inequalities and enhance human development.