ZAMBIA TARGETS 250,000 JOBS by 2031 THROUGH WORLD BANK MINERALS COMPACT
Zambia has set an ambitious target of creating 250,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2031 under a new World Bank Group Minerals Compact aimed at transforming the country’s vast mineral resources into broad-based economic growth.
The initiative targets 100,000 direct mining jobs and 150,000 indirect jobs while attracting investment into mining, energy, transport and mineral processing sectors.
Speaking at the launch during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane said rising global demand for critical minerals presents a major opportunity for Zambia to accelerate industrial development.
He reaffirmed the government’s goal of increasing copper production from under one million metric tonnes to three million metric tonnes by 2031, supported by reforms that have already attracted about US$12 billion in mining investment since 2022.
Credit: Zanis