The Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, has ended a five-day visit in Lilongwe, Malawi, from June 9—14, 2021. While in Malawi, Vice President Howard-Taylor paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and affirmed renewed cooperation between Liberia and Malawi.
Vice President Howard-Taylor applauded President Chakwera for his stance on women empowerment, evident by 39% of women appointment in cabinet. She further commended him for creating the platform for women, and branded him a true “HeforShe” champion.
Still in Malawi, the Vice President also held talks with her counterpart, His Excellency Saulos Chilima, Vice President of the Republic of Malawi. The meeting was centered on the possibilities of exploring investment opportunities in both countries with an agenda to identify specific areas of engagements.
Vice President Chilima acknowledged Liberia’s rich history in leading the liberation struggle, which occasioned the independence of many countries on the African continent. He expressed willingness to learn from Liberia’s experience on the international stage.
The two Vice Presidents were keen on collaborating in the extractive industry and how both nations’ resources can improve the livelihood of the people.
Vice President Howard-Taylor also had fruitful discussions with Rt. Catherine Gotani Hara, the first elected female Speaker of the Malawian Parliament.
The meeting focused on the need to encourage more women into politics and strategies to support women who are in Parliament.
As President of the Liberian Senate, Vice President Howard-Taylor assured Speaker Hara of the establishment of a cohesive relationship between the parliaments of both nations and the compelling need to strive for the election of more women in parliament.
In a related development, Vice President Howard-Taylor has held discussions with Press Trust of Malawi, a public body responsible to attract investors to Malawi.
At the heart of the discussion was the need to collaborate with the Liberian government in energy, telecommunications, manufacturing and agriculture.
Press Trust is Malawi’s largest employer, which mobilizes resources from the private sector to fund government projects in order to provide social services.
The Vice President emphasized President Weah’s pronouncement that Liberia is opened for business while signing a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) which provides the framework for economic cooperation between Liberia and Malawi.
In the exploration for more investment opportunities for Liberia, Vice President Howard-Taylor held meeting with the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) on the possibilities of partnering in the area of agriculture.
NASFAM is involved in the production of rice, tobacco, groundout and other crops for exportation. The Vice President intimated that the technological innovation of NASFAM can be of major significance to Liberia, as the government endeavors to use agriculture in alleviating poverty.
She emphasized that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement can provide the framework and opportunity for Africans to begin trading amongst themselves.
Vice President Howard-Taylor then concluded her engagement with a private visit to Her Excellency Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi.
The visit was held under friendly atmosphere as the Vice President listened to the wise counsel of the former President.
Former President Banda urged Vice President Howard-Taylor to carry the mantle of the champion of women empowerment in Africa, with the energy and tenacity required, and to continue the legacies of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.