Local Government Minister Ben Phiri has pitched Usisya’s tourism and agricultural potential to investors and professors at Peking University (PKU) in China, saying Malawi needs to make better use of its natural resources to create economic opportunities.
Phiri said Usisya in Nkhata Bay has beaches along Lake Malawi, mountains and fertile land, making it suitable for both tourism and farming.
Speaking at PKU, Phiri said his experience in China had given him an opportunity to see how the country had used its land and people to move from poverty to prosperity.
“We have witnessed China from 1949, moving transition from poverty to prosperity,” he said.
Phiri said Malawi has a youthful population that can provide the manpower needed to drive development if properly utilised.
He said tourism is one of the areas where Malawi can attract visitors and investment, inviting those attending the presentation to consider visiting the country.
“When I see you, I see scholars, fellow scholars. But I see tourists, I see money, I see investors. So I welcome you to come to Malawi,” he said.
The minister has previously identified Usisya as an area with considerable potential for tourism and agriculture.
He has been pushing for the construction of the Mzuzu–Usisya road, particularly the proposed 30-kilometre shortcut, saying improved access would help farmers take their produce to markets and make it easier for tourists to reach the area.
Phiri first visited Usisya during last year’s campaign and has since continued to advocate for improved road access.
He has also supported the proposed Mpamba–Chikwina–Usisya road, which he says would improve movement of people and goods between the area and other parts of the country.
Usisya has beaches along Lake Malawi, mountains and farming communities, while fishing is also an important activity in the area.
Phiri says better connectivity could help bring these activities together by giving farmers access to markets and opening up the area to more tourists and investors.
His pitch comes as he continues to use his experience in China to argue that Malawi can learn from the country’s approach to using its people and resources to support economic development.
Phiri also encouraged Malawians who have never visited Usisya to make plans to travel there and experience its tourism and agricultural potential.
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