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Zambia risks cultivating a restless and disillusioned generation if it fails to channel the energy and creativity of its youths into productive and innovative ventures, former Health Minister, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, has warned.
Chilufya said many young Zambians possess talent, skill, and ingenuity, yet these remain stifled by systemic neglect and a challenging socio-economic environment.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, the Mansa Central Patriotic Front lawmaker cautioned that continued inaction would have catastrophic consequences, not only for the youth but for the nation as a whole.
“A country that squanders the energy of its young people is like a farmer who throws away his best seeds and expects a bountiful harvest,” Chilufya said.
He stressed the need for urgent action to amplify youth voices and unleash their creative potential, adding that innovation is not confined to universities but thrives in everyday spaces.
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“It flourishes in roadside carpentry shops, welding stations, and fishing camps—where young minds strive to turn skill into sustenance,” he stated.
Chilufya reiterated that Zambia’s future would not be built in conference rooms alone but in the places where innovation was born out of necessity.
He warned that failing to invest in young minds would ultimately lead to national decline.
“Youth is not merely a measure of age; it is the crucible of innovation, the very engine of national progress. Let us move beyond grandiloquent speeches and invest in real empowerment, lest we forge a generation brimming with frustration and lost potential,” he urged.
His remarks came as Zambia commemorated Youth Day under the theme “Voices Amplified and Innovations Ignited”on March 12.
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