Journalists in Malawi have been urged to play their part in reporting on energy issues as one way of supporting the government’s ambition to ensure that 70 percent of the population has access to electricity by the year 2030.
President of the Association of Environmental Journalists (AEJ), Titus Lizie, made the call during the opening of a four-day specialized training on energy reporting, which began today in Blantyre. The training has been organized by GIZ.
The Government of Malawi has set a target that by 2030, 70 out of every 100 citizens should have access to electricity.
However, with only five years remaining, the current access rate stands at just 26 percent.
Lizie noted that journalists have a crucial role to play in helping the nation close this gap.
“Journalists must take part if this goal is to be achieved. They should actively report on energy issues, especially highlighting existing gaps that could prompt supporting organizations and development partners to intervene with the necessary funding,” he said.
Board member of the Renewable Energy Industries Association of Malawi (REIAMA), Beston Ntepa Gama, echoed Lizie’s sentiments.
“There is a lot happening in the energy sector. If these developments are widely publicized, more people can learn about modern energy solutions and begin adopting them.
But for this information to reach the public, we need journalists to take the lead,” Gama said.
