ADF Drives Skills and Engineering Transformation in Zambia
The African Development Fund (ADF) is playing a transformative role in strengthening engineering education and skills development in Zambia, equipping young people with the tools to drive national development and job creation.
At the University of Zambia (UNZA), final-year civil engineering student Kangwa Bwalya studies in a modern, air-conditioned lecture theatre built with support from the Zambia Support to Science and Technology Education Project (SSTEP), a sharp contrast to the overcrowded and outdated facilities that once defined the campus.
The US$29.4 million project, funded by ADF and completed in July 2024, delivered state-of-the-art infrastructure, laboratories and equipment for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education across three public universities and four technical and vocational institutions.
Beneficiaries include UNZA, the Copperbelt University, Mulungushi University, and several Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions nationwide.
“Previously, our biggest lecture room could only accommodate about 100 students, and most of the equipment was obsolete,” said Dr Charles Kahanji, Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNZA. “Now, we have modern, digital equipment that allows real-time data analysis. It has been a game changer.”
The project has benefited more than 250,000 students and trainees, including 5,494 scholarship recipients, while also strengthening academic capacity. A total of 85 lecturers were supported to pursue master’s and PhD studies, enabling them to teach and supervise postgraduate programmes.
Mining engineering lecturer Dr Sam Kangwa, a beneficiary of the project’s PhD scholarships, said the support had significantly expanded his professional opportunities. “Before my PhD, I could not teach postgraduate students. The impact has been huge,” he said.
Beyond universities, the project has empowered 11,470 young people, nearly a quarter of them women, through artisanal training, entrepreneurship support and gender-responsive curricula developed in partnership with the private sector. Many graduates have gone on to establish businesses in energy, electronics, agro-processing and welding.
One such beneficiary is Joseph Banda, a graduate of Lukashya Technical Training Institute, who now runs Akunzi AgroVet in Kabwe. “Instead of looking for employment, I started my own business,” Banda said. He now employs five people directly and supports dozens more indirectly.
UNZA Vice-Chancellor Professor Mundia Muya said the partnership with ADF had transformed the learning environment. “Our lecture theatres and laboratories were once in a deplorable state. Today, they are fully modernised and conducive to learning and research,” he said.
Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Chipota Mutati, said investments in education and skills development were central to the country’s long-term stability and growth. “This is not just about infrastructure. It is about transforming minds, anchoring peace, and strengthening democracy through development,” he said.
