MALAWI: Dzombe Fertilizer Plant Faces Delay as MEPA Licence Approval Remains Pending

By Smile Hamilton

Business tycoon Napoleon Dzombe says the opening of his fertilizer manufacturing plant in Dowa has been delayed as the company is still awaiting an environmental licence from the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA).

The plant was initially expected to commence fertilizer production in April this year, but Dzombe said the timeline has been pushed back after MEPA rejected the project’s initial environmental impact assessment report.

He said the company has since submitted a revised report and is waiting for the approval process to be completed before operations can begin.

Dzombe added that raw materials for fertilizer production have already been procured from China and are expected to arrive in the country soon. He said the company plans to source such materials locally once production starts.

MEPA spokesperson Aubren Chirwa confirmed that the authority’s Board of Directors must assess environmental concerns surrounding the project before granting approval.

“The process involves several stages and requires thorough evaluation before a final decision is made,” said Chirwa.

Speaking in an earlier interview in December last year, Dzombe, founder of Mtilimanja Holdings Limited, said the factory would have the capacity to produce 40 metric tonnes of fertilizer per hour, enough to meet Malawi’s national demand within 150 days of operation.

The project is expected to play a significant role in reducing Malawi’s reliance on imported fertilizer and improving the availability of the commodity once operational.