By Chisomo Phiri
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development,Ben Phiri, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, met a delegation from the Embassy of Iceland to explore deeper strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating development in Malawi.
The meeting, held at Capitol Hill in Lilongwe, highlighted the long-standing cooperation between Malawi and Iceland, with Phiri commending Iceland for its continued commitment,particularly through impactful projects in Mangochi District.
The minister said Malawi’s development agenda relies heavily on productive collaborations with development partners, noting that Iceland’s interventions have significantly improved service delivery at the local level.
He especially praised the Embassy’s contributions in Mangochi, where a modern maternity hospital and new council office blocks have been completed.
Phiri also thanked the Embassy for its responsiveness and flexibility in considering new requests from the Government of Malawi, describing Iceland as a reliable partner in national development.
In his remarks, the Embassy’s Head of Mission to Malawi,David Bjarnason, announced that Iceland will soon unveil its newly selected partner districts.
He said the shortlisted districts performed strongly across the three main assessment criteria, demonstrating solid leadership engagement, strong proposals, and improved governance indicators.
Bjarnason revealed that Iceland has already visited the proposed project sites, submitted its recommendations for ministerial endorsement, and will next seek final approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland.
“This is also to formally inform you that the Makanjira maternity hospital has been completed and is awaiting staff deployment and equipment delivery. We expect to commission it in January 2026.
“The Mangochi District Council chamber and office block have also been completed and are ready for commissioning in the first week of December,” he said.
The Head of Mission further announced the approval of the Mangochi Basic Services 3 (MBS 3) programme, valued at USD 8 million, which will support essential services and local development initiatives.
