Malawi minister hails Jospong Group for demonstrating economic potential of waste management
Malawi’s Minister of Natural Resources, Patricia Wiskes, MP, and her delegation have praised Ghana’s Jospong Group for demonstrating the economic opportunities in waste management following a visit to the company’s operations in Ghana.
The Malawian delegation, which is exploring a partnership with the Ghanaian conglomerate to establish integrated waste management facilities in Malawi, said the engagement had significantly changed its understanding of waste as an economic resource rather than merely an environmental nuisance.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the ongoing COP31 in Türkiye, Dr Misheard Yagontha Munthali, Principal Secretary at Malawi’s Ministry of Natural Resources, said the visit to Jospong had exposed the delegation to the economic opportunities that could be generated through the effective management and conversion of waste into useful products.
“For a long time, until we went to Jospong, we used to look at waste as something bad or a nuisance or a problem. But when we visited Jospong, we realised that actually waste is a big opportunity. It’s a big economic opportunity,” he said.
He explained that beyond improving sanitation and keeping cities clean, waste management could generate resources through the conversion of waste into products such as fertiliser, gas and carpets.
Dr Munthali further highlighted the potential of the proposed collaboration to create employment opportunities, particularly for young people, as well as provide economic opportunities for women and men.
He said the Malawian government was looking forward to working with Jospong Group to develop solutions that would not only improve the cleanliness and environmental sustainability of its cities but also generate economic value from waste.
The Principal Secretary described the proposed partnership as an opportunity for both parties to jointly develop a waste management system capable of delivering environmental and socioeconomic benefits.
The engagement follows a visit by the Malawian delegation to Ghana, during which it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Jospong Group to establish a framework for cooperation.
The proposed collaboration is expected to begin with feasibility studies for the establishment of integrated waste management facilities in Malawi’s four city councils: Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu.
The Public-Private Partnership Commission Board has since approved the proposed feasibility exercise, paving the way for Jospong Group to engage the Malawian authorities on the next steps.
Jospong Group operates an integrated waste management model that incorporates waste collection, sorting, material recovery, recycling and composting, with the broader objective of converting waste into valuable resources.
