Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Malawi (Unima), Gowokan Chijere Chirwa, has described the Growth Identification and Facilitation Tool (GIFT) as a groundbreaking innovation with the potential to transform economic planning in developing countries.
The tool, developed by Unima economics lecturer Farai Chigaru, is designed to predict productive sectors that governments should prioritize to accelerate economic growth and development.
Speaking on the innovation, Chijere Chirwa said the tool has already attracted international recognition and is poised to become an important resource for policymakers and development institutions.
“It is promising to be a big thing and for the past three years, it has been getting awards internationally. One day it will surely be a tool that big institutions will use for planning,” he said.
In an interview, Chigaru explained that the Growth Identification and Facilitation Tool is an automated software system programmed to identify optimal, country-specific productive sectors based on economic data and comparative advantages.
He noted that many national development plans often focus on sectors that are low-yielding, high-risk, or poorly aligned with a country’s natural economic strengths, resulting in industrial strategies that hinder growth.
“The tool analyses macroeconomic data and uses an intelligent algorithm to measure how well every product aligns with a country’s unique comparative advantages,” Chigaru said.
“The output is a clear, evidence-based list of the highest-potential sectors, showing policymakers exactly where diversification is most likely to succeed.”
According to Chigaru, the innovation provides data-driven insights by analysing a country’s unique economic characteristics to identify the most viable products and sectors for trade and investment.
The tool also enables governments and investors to benchmark against ideal partner countries for trade and investment opportunities while tracking the evolution of competitive sectors over time.
The innovation’s growing international reputation was further cemented in 2025 when it secured second place at the 2025 Belt & Road and BRICS Competition of Skills Development and Technology Innovation held in China.
Experts believe the tool could play a significant role in helping developing countries make informed economic decisions, promote sustainable industrialisation, and unlock growth opportunities aligned with their natural resource endowments.
