* The UK remains a trusted partner of Malawi, and our cooperation will continue to be driven by collaboration, investment and shared ambition—acting British High Commissioner, Ben Nicholson
* As he announced that UK support through multilateral institutions is estimated at between £40 million and £50 million annually
By Rabecca Itimu, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
The United Kingdom has pledged to maintain its support for Malawi’s economic recovery efforts, saying future cooperation will focus on strengthening economic reforms, climate resilience, institutional capacity and sustainable development.
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In a statement released on Friday, acting British High Commissioner, Ben Nicholson said the UK remains committed to working with Malawi to address development challenges through collaboration, investment and technical support.
Nicholson, who Development Director at the British High Commission in Malawi, acting in the absence of High Commissioner,/Leigh-Stubblefield,-who-is-the-UK on official Malawi-UK duties, said recently announced bilateral funding allocations represent baseline support.
He added that Malawi will continue to benefit from additional assistance through UK expertise, multilateral institutions, climate finance, British investment and private philanthropy.
Ben Nicholson
The UK support, through multilateral institutions, is estimated at between £40 million and £50 million annually — and Nicholson said: “The UK remains a trusted partner of Malawi, and our cooperation will continue to be driven by collaboration, investment and shared ambition.”
The statement further said the UK will continue supporting Malawi’s economic reform agenda aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability, strengthening public finances, improving debt sustainability and rebuilding investor confidence.
Nicholson highlighted the Mpatamanga Hydropower Project as one of the key areas of cooperation, saying the 365-megawatt project is expected to increase Malawi’s electricity generation capacity by about 60% while supporting job creation and economic growth.
Site of the Mpatamanga hydro power project
He said the UK is also providing technical assistance to support the responsible development of Malawi’s critical minerals sector, alongside reforms in public finance and debt management.
The UK is further supporting Malawi’s efforts to access international climate finance, including assistance that contributed to the country securing a US$37 million Green Climate Fund grant.
The UK plans to support the establishment of a dedicated Climate Finance Unit to strengthen coordination of climate-related investments.
On social sectors, the statement said the UK remains committed to supporting health and education through funding partnerships, research collaboration and programmes aimed at improving learning outcomes.
The UK also said it will continue supporting disaster preparedness and resilience initiatives to help Malawi respond better to climate-related shocks.—Editing by Duncan Mlanjira; Maravi Express
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