African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwuni Adesina has asked Malawi and Tanzania to take advantage of funding for the Songwe Multipurpose Dam and hydropower plant projects for enhanced productivity in the neighbouring countries.
He said this during a bilateral meeting on the Songwe River basin development programme on the sidelines of CoP28 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
“This project needs Malawi and Tanzania to work together comparatively so that the citizens in the two countries should have improved energy, water, food, ecosystems and the environment,” Adesina said.
Adesina reiterated the banks’ commitment to supporting such projects that go a long way towards fostering regional integration.
He said Malawi and Tanzania should adopt systematic measures in addressing climate change-related shocks.
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Minister of Water and Sanitisation Abida Mia said the government is committed to ensuring the success of the projects.
“It is for this reason that the government of the Republic of Malawi, collaboratively with the government of the United Republic of Tanzania, seeks financing for this major project, which is estimated to cost $761 million.” Mia said.
She said the multi-purpose dam will also be used for water supply for consumption and irrigation as well. Tanzanian Minister of Water Juma Aweso thanked ADB for its unwavering support of the project.
He said that Tanzania and Malawi will cooperate with the bank and make sure that the project is completed within its timeframe.
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“The multi-purpose dam will, among other things, be used for hydropower generation with a capacity of 80 megawatts to power the two countries,” Aweso said.
