IT is hard to believe that Zambia has in the last two months successfully hosted more than 6,000 people from outside who were in the country to attend two very important functions.
These were the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting and the just ended African Development Bank (AfDB) annual meetings held in Lusaka in March and May, respectively.
The IPU, held from March 19 to 23, attracted more than 2,000 delegates while the AfDB meetings attracted more than 4,000 delegates.
It is pleasing to note that the two events have left an indelible mark on Zambia’s international profile which has continued to be on the ascendancy.
Not too long ago, the country was co-host of the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) with Zimbabwe, an event which attracted a multitude of people from across the globe.
This week, this platform sought to share a few of the benefits that of hosting high profile events as a gateway to having and sustaining a positive international profile to a developing country such as Zambia.
One of the most eminent obviously is infrastructure development.
It was pleasing to note how Mulungushi International Conference Centre has over the last few years transformed from a semi rugged structure to a more formidable facility capable of hosting any global event.
Aside from the improvements to conference facilities, services such as transport and communication have also received a facelift and once the seminars such as the ones under discussion today concluded, the benefits of the infrastructure remain with the people.
The environment for the private sector to flourish in this regard is very rich and this is why the role of enhancing the country’s international profile is not for the Government alone.
Private sector players should come to the fore and tap into the lucrative opportunities of creating synergies in the area of infrastructure development so that this sector is purely Zambian
owned.
The country cannot continue relying on people abroad to be major financers of the hosting of their programmes and all that Zambia does is merely contribute land aside minimal contribution to the coffers.
The other benefit is outright economic development as all the fundamentals leading to this are in existence.
Infrastructure is readily available and is raking in foreign exchange earnings to support whatever resources already circulating in the economy.
After what Zambia has achieved in as far as her international reputation is concerned over the last 50 years, should not be taken for granted.
Colleagues from abroad during the just AfDB shared of how the country was friendly in all forms including the weather which from a Zambian’s point of view was chilly and often unpleasant.
It is our role as Zambians to remain patriotic about such achievements and ensure that wherever we are, we speak well about our great country.
It is a universal role of every son and daughter of this nation to market and promote all of Zambia’s natural and ‘man-made’ features to protect its status as ‘the real Africa’.
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