BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MANZINI– Researchers, academics and students have been given an opportunity to help shape Eswatini’s future development planning by contributing research on population trends and their impact on the country’s progress.
The National Population Unit, through the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, has opened submissions for research papers ahead of the National Population and Development Summit scheduled for November 2026.
Submissions close on September 21, 2026.
The initiative is expected to bring together research examining Eswatini’s population and development journey over the past 40 years, while generating evidence that can assist government and other stakeholders in making informed planning decisions.
Director of the National Population Unit Nombulelo Dlamini said research remained an important foundation for effective national planning.
“It is important for researchers to contribute their work because research provides the evidence that informs planning and development,” Dlamini said.
The research call gives contributors an opportunity to examine how population patterns and development issues have changed over four decades and what lessons can be drawn for the future.
The findings are expected to contribute to national discussions on population dynamics and their relationship with development, while strengthening the evidence available to policymakers and development planners.
The November summit will bring together researchers and other stakeholders to present findings, exchange knowledge and discuss some of the country’s key population and development concerns.
It is also expected to create a platform where findings from different studies can feed into broader conversations on Eswatini’s development priorities.
The call is not limited to established researchers. Academics, students and other stakeholders whose work touches on population and development have also been encouraged to participate.
“We are calling on researchers, academics, students and other stakeholders to submit their research and contribute to these important national conversations,” Dlamini said.
Population research is considered important in development planning because demographic changes can influence the demand for public services and affect how resources and interventions are planned.
Changes in population size, structure and patterns can therefore have a direct bearing on the way development programmes are designed and prioritised. The National Population Unit is seeking to widen the body of evidence available to decision-makers by bringing more research into national discussions.
For students and emerging researchers, the summit will also provide an opportunity to place their work before a wider national audience and contribute to the country’s growing body of knowledge on population and development.
With the submission deadline approaching, eligible researchers have been urged to submit their papers by September 21, 2026.
Further information on the submission process is available through the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development’s online platform.
(Courtesy Pic)
