Minister Ben Phiri: Malawi cannot afford idle youth population

Malawi’s Minister of Local Government  Dr Ben Malunga Phiri has issued a stark warning over the country’s swelling youth population, demanding urgent investment in skills development, education and job creation to prevent a generation from being left behind.

Speaking at the 2026 National Youth Summit in Lilongwe, Phiri didn’t mince his words, declaring that Malawi simply cannot afford to allow such a vast number of young people to remain without meaningful work.

“You cannot have 50 percent of our young people at home doing nothing. As leaders, we need to create opportunities for them, but young people themselves must also be prepared to knock on doors,” Phiri declared.

The minister was equally blunt in urging young Malawians to seize whatever opportunities are available to them, encouraging them to take matters into their own hands by developing practical solutions to the challenges facing their own communities.

But Phiri was careful to stress that responsibility for tackling the crisis cannot fall on government alone, insisting that meaningful change would require a fundamental shift in mindset alongside genuine investment in developing young people’s skills.

He went further still, calling for a dramatic overhaul of Malawi’s tertiary education system, insisting curricula must be reshaped to focus on practical, hands-on skills that directly respond to the demands of the country’s economy — rather than churning out graduates ill-equipped for the job market.

The minister’s blunt assessment lands at a critical moment for Malawi, with youth unemployment continuing to loom large as one of the country’s most pressing economic and social challenges.