National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc has donated K300 million to this year’s hunger response programme to support households affected by hunger.
This follows President Peter Mutharika’s declaration of a State of Disaster in 11 districts on October 27 2025 after a Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) report established that about four million people face acute hunger during the current lean period between October 2025 and March 2026.
Speaking during a symbolic cheque presentation in Lilongwe on Tuesday, NBM board chairperson Grant Peter Kabango said the company deemed it necessary to respond to the President’s call to support those facing hunger.
from Kabango. | Kelly Livimbo
He said: “The donation follows His Excellency’s call for the private sector and the wider world to support government on this catastrophe. We believe that this will go a long way in supporting needy families that are currently experiencing food shortages.”
In his remarks, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation Joseph Mwanamvekha thanked NBM for the support, emphasising the importance of local companies joining hands with the government to end hunger.
“We have a lot of Malawians that are suffering and need food. I thank the board and management of National Bank as they have demonstrated that it is possible to work together and sort out our challenges before we go outside and ask for assistance,” he said.
The minister outlined the government’s plans to strengthen its preparedness for future disasters.
“The Malawi Government has put forward a disaster response and resilience plan on how to handle situations like this and minimise the impact of disasters in the future. That is what has been put in place at the moment,” he said.
Earlier, Mwanamvekha indicated that of the K350 billion required for this lean season’s hunger response, government has secured K107 billion, leaving a deficit of K143 billion
