The Government of Malawi has welcomed a project led by MUST aimed at strengthening the country’s ability to understand, manage and benefit from its critical mineral resources.

Through the Centre for Sustainable Mining and Minerals, MUST on September 11, 2026, engaged Ministry of Mining in Lilongwe to introduce the “Advancing Malawi’s Critical Minerals Strategy through Data, Value Addition and Energy Systems Planning” project.

The engagement brought together MUST and Ministry officials to discuss the project and explore how government institutions can contribute to its successful implementation.

The project comes at a time when Malawi is looking to unlock greater value from its mineral resources. 

It will focus on strengthening the use of reliable geological and mineral data, promoting value addition and supporting energy systems planning to help build a more sustainable and productive mining sector.

Speaking during the meeting, Project Coordinator, Emmanuel Chinkaka, said collaboration between government, academia and other key stakeholders will be critical to ensuring that Malawi makes informed decisions about its mineral resources.

He said the project will help strengthen the country’s capacity to use data in planning, promote value addition and ensure that the mining sector contributes more to national development.

The engagement also highlighted MUST’s growing role in developing skills for Malawi’s mining industry through the Centre for Sustainable Mining and Minerals.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Mining, Dr Rodwell Mzonde, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important contribution to the development of Malawi’s mining and minerals sector.

Dr Mzonde emphasised the importance of collaboration and efforts that can help Malawi maximise benefits from its mineral resources.

The Ministry pledged to support implementation of the project, marking an important step towards stronger collaboration between MUST and government in advancing Malawi’s critical minerals agenda.