NYCOM embarks on Strategic Plan consultations

Four years after the expiry of its previous strategic plan, the National Youth Council of Malawi has embarked on a process of developing a successor strategy expected to run from 2024 to 2029.

The Council has since engaged a consultant, Mr. Jacob Mapemba to lead the process of charting the new strategic direction. Mr. Mapemba also led the development of the previous strategy which ran from 2015 to 2020.

So far, the consultant has been to a number of districts in the Northern Region, engaging youth leaders, government officials, civil society and development partners in order to generate a diverse range of interest and expert views that will inform the new strategic plan.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of consultations that took place in Mzuzu City on Thursday, 16 May, 2024, the Council’s Executive Director Mr. Rex Chapota described the intended direction to be a turn-around strategy that is expected to drastically turn the fortunes of the Council in light of current national development blueprints such as the Malawi 2063 and the 2023 to 2028 Malawi National Youth Policy.

Calling on the youth in the country to come forth and participate in the consultation process, Chapota implored them to “be sending their views for the betterment of this strategic plan which will reflect a true situation concerning youths on the ground.”

The Council has also issued a call in the media for youth and various other stakeholders to make their contributions to the strategic planning process.

So far, the district consultation process has reached the Nkhata Bay, Mzuzu and Karonga districts. The process has received various forms of support from critical stakeholders such as PROPEL Health, UNICEF Malawi, UNFPA Malawi, GIZ Malawi, National Planning Commission, National AIDS Commission and others.

The development of the new Strategic Plan is expected to complete in July with the International Youth Day (IYD) 12 August, 2024 earmarked as the day for the launch of the plan.