Zambia’s Grow Zambia Agenda is placing grassroots development at the centre of the country’s economic transformation plans, with the enhanced Constituency Development Fund expected to play a major role in turning national priorities into projects at community level. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has indicated that it intends to align CDF investments with the Government’s ambitious production targets under the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 plan. The approach focuses strongly on infrastructure, agriculture, energy and support for small-scale farmers. By directing more resources towards projects that strengthen local production capacity, the Government aims to ensure that development reaches communities while contributing to wider national economic objectives. The strategy also reflects an effort to connect constituency-level spending with Zambia’s broader ambitions to become a major regional economic and production powerhouse.
MLGRD Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Mr. Nicholas Phiri, said the President’s Grow Zambia Agenda aligns closely with the Ministry’s mandate of promoting grassroots development through the equitable distribution and implementation of the enhanced CDF. The fund provides constituencies with resources that can be used to respond to local development needs while supporting national priorities. According to Mr. Phiri, the Ministry plans to align CDF priorities with the targets contained in the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 plan, particularly through investments in infrastructure projects. This alignment is intended to make local development spending more strategic by linking community projects to sectors that can generate economic activity and improve productive capacity. It also gives constituencies a greater role in contributing to national goals through projects implemented within their communities.
The 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 Agenda sets out a series of ambitious production targets that form part of President Hakainde Hichilema’s vision for Zambia’s economic transformation over the next five years. The plan targets 10 million tonnes of maize, 10,000 megawatts of electricity, five million tourists, three million tonnes of copper and three million tonnes of soya. It also includes targets of one million tonnes of wheat, one million tonnes of sugar and one billion US dollars in beef export earnings. Achieving these targets will require significant investment in infrastructure, production systems, energy capacity, storage, transport and support for businesses and farmers. The Government’s decision to connect CDF spending to these targets is therefore aimed at using local development resources to strengthen the foundations needed for increased national production.
Agriculture is expected to receive particular attention under the Ministry’s planned use of CDF resources. Mr. Phiri stated that significant amounts of the fund would be dedicated to infrastructure projects, specifically agricultural infrastructure and storage facilities needed to accommodate the projected 10 million tonnes of maize. Increased maize production requires more than access to farming inputs, as farmers also need adequate storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses and preserve produce until it can reach markets. Investment in agricultural infrastructure can therefore support farmers beyond the production stage by improving their ability to store and manage their harvests. The planned focus on storage also demonstrates the importance of developing infrastructure alongside production targets if Zambia is to substantially increase its agricultural output.
The Government’s focus on small-scale farmers is another important component of the strategy. Small-scale producers form a significant part of Zambia’s agricultural sector and can contribute substantially to national food production when they have access to appropriate resources and equipment. Mr. Phiri said the Ministry would use the CDF facility to empower small-scale farmers with suitable agricultural equipment to increase production and profitability. Providing equipment could help farmers improve efficiency, expand cultivated areas and reduce some of the physical constraints associated with traditional farming methods. If combined with access to markets, storage facilities and appropriate agricultural knowledge, such support could help rural communities generate stronger and more sustainable incomes.
The proposed CDF investments also extend beyond agriculture, with energy infrastructure forming another major area of focus. Mr. Phiri said the Ministry would contribute to the Government’s target of constructing 10,000 megawatts of power by expanding the Presidential Constituency Energy Initiative to 70 new constituencies. The expansion is expected to bring the total capacity of power generation by local authorities to 452 megawatts of solar energy. Expanding solar power generation at constituency level could help increase access to electricity while supporting economic activities that depend on reliable energy. It also reflects the Government’s broader recognition that energy availability is closely connected to industrial development, agriculture, business growth and improved services in communities.
The link between rural infrastructure and economic development is particularly important as Zambia seeks to increase production across several sectors. Farmers need roads, storage facilities, energy and equipment to move from subsistence-oriented activities towards more productive commercial operations. Businesses also require reliable infrastructure to process goods, access markets and create employment. By directing part of the CDF towards productive infrastructure, the Ministry aims to create conditions that allow communities to participate more actively in economic growth. This approach could also help ensure that the benefits of national development plans extend beyond major urban centres and reach constituencies where many people depend directly on agriculture and local economic activity.
The Ministry also plans to use lessons from the previous five years to improve the effectiveness of CDF implementation and ensure that projects better reflect community needs. This is an important consideration because successful development programmes depend not only on the amount of funding available but also on how effectively resources are planned and used. Aligning CDF projects with actual community priorities can help ensure that infrastructure investments address practical challenges faced by residents. At the same time, connecting local priorities with national production targets can give constituency projects a broader economic purpose. The emphasis on lessons learnt suggests that the Ministry intends to refine its approach rather than simply continue with previous implementation methods.
Effective implementation will be critical if the enhanced CDF is to make a meaningful contribution to the Grow Zambia Agenda. Infrastructure projects need proper planning, suitable technical standards, effective monitoring and maintenance to deliver lasting benefits to communities. Agricultural equipment must also reach the intended beneficiaries and be supported by systems that allow farmers to use and maintain it effectively. Energy projects will require careful planning to ensure that new solar generation capacity provides reliable and useful electricity for communities and local economic activities. Strong coordination between the Ministry, local authorities, constituencies and communities will therefore be essential to ensure that CDF investments produce measurable development outcomes.
The alignment between the Grow Zambia Agenda and the enhanced CDF represents an effort to connect national economic ambitions with development at constituency level. By focusing on agricultural infrastructure, storage facilities, farmer empowerment and renewable energy, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is seeking to make local development funding contribute directly to Zambia’s wider production goals. The 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 plan sets ambitious targets, and achieving them will require coordinated action across government, communities, farmers and the private sector. If CDF resources are effectively targeted and implemented, they can help strengthen local economies while supporting Zambia’s efforts to increase production and create opportunities. The success of the strategy will ultimately depend on how well planned investments respond to community needs while delivering the infrastructure required to support the country’s long-term economic transformation.