Zambia is turning to Turkey to help it to diversify its economy. In August Zambian vice president Inonge Wina called on the Turkish Co-operation and Coordination Agency (Tika) to support Zambia’s economic diversification agenda through mechanisation of the agricultural sector.
Speaking during a bilateral meeting with Tika president Serdar Cam in Ankara, Wina said the Zambian government would appreciate Tika’s support in training and imparting skills to small-scale farmers and youths who wanted to venture into agriculture. The objective is for Zambia to diversify away from its dependence on commodities like copper and crops like maize.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan visited Zambia in July when 12 bilateral agreements were signed. Speaking at the meeting with the Zambian vice president, Cam said Tika had already started working towards implementing the agreements. He added that Tika had maintained plans to develop new investments and projects within the current financial year despite the currency fluctuations being experienced by Turkey, according to a joint media release.
According to the Turkish foreign ministry, trade between Turkey and Zambia in 2017 was worth around US$21.8 million. Turkish exports to Zambia totalled US$16.6 million, while Zambia exported US$5.2 million worth of goods.
