Hon. Eng. Vitumbiko A.Z. Mumba, Minister of Trade and Industry accompanied by the Secretary for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador of the Republic of Malawi to Japan, the Director General of MITC, the Director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, engaged in a meeting with JICA’s Senior Vice President for the Africa Department, Mr. Ando
Naoki, franked by the Director of the Africa Division, Deputy Director of the African Division, and the Country Officer, in Tokyo, Japan. The meeting convened on June 19, 2025, at JICA Headquarters was marked by a spirit of cooperation focused on tackling essential infrastructure requirements and current initiatives in Malawi.
Minister Mumba conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to JICA for their willingness to host the meeting on such short notice. He recognized the significant assistance that Malawi has benefited from JICA in multiple areas, such as energy, transportation, agricultural infrastructure, and technical support. Opportunities for enhancing educational facilities and providing scholarships
The meeting placed significant focus on the present scope of the Lilongwe Bridge project. Minister Mumba expressed reservations regarding the current implementation plan, indicating that it does not fully align with the project’s overarching objective of alleviating traffic congestion. He encouraged JICA to
reconsider the project, highlighting that constructing the bridge without enhancing the connecting feeder roads could potentially worsen congestion instead of easing it.
The Vice President conveyed his appreciation for Minister Mumba’s visit and reaffirmed their dedication to the current projects. He recognised the importance of reassessing the project scope for the Lilongwe Bridge. An official from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Misaki Egashira indicated that the request to reassess the initial project scope had received approval, and feasibility studies are presently in
progress. The successful achievement of the project’s goal to alleviate traffic congestion in the area is contingent upon this important step.
