Eswatini PM urges AfDB to prioritize local business procurement

Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has called on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to adjust procurement frameworks to allow more qualified local businesses and young people to participate in projects within Eswatini. Dlamini emphasized that development partnerships should provide tangible benefits to citizens by supporting local enterprise development, employment creation, and improved livelihoods beyond mere infrastructure completion.

The request follows a visit by an AfDB delegation representing 30 countries, which assessed several major financed projects. The delegation provided a positive assessment of initiatives including the Lower Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project Phase II (LUSIP II) and the Mpakeni Dam.

LUSIP II, approved in 2016 with a US$63 million loan, aims to expand irrigated agriculture for approximately 5,000 hectares. The Mpakeni Dam is part of the Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Programme (MNWAP), a large-scale water and irrigation initiative with estimated costs reaching approximately €400 million. Other AfDB-supported efforts include the Eswatini Road Infrastructure Improvement Programme Phase I.