Top news items in major Zambian media outlets

The following are news highlights in Zambia's major media outlets on Wednesday.

-- The World Bank has given Zambia 50 million U.S. dollars for upgrading of 89 primary schools into secondary schools in four of the country's 10 provinces.

Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Ronald Chitotela said the funds were part of the World Bank's financial support towards improved infrastructure in the education sector.

The pilot project will be implemented in Eastern, Northern, Muchinga and Luapula provinces, he added. (Zambia Daily Mail)

-- Zambian President Edgar Lungu has urged lawmakers to help in combating an outbreak of army worms by going back to their constituencies and help raise awareness on the outbreak.

Army worms have broken out in six of Zambia's 10 provinces, ravaging large swathes of maize fields. The government has launched an emergency operation of spraying chemicals on all affected fields.

Lungu said lawmakers have an important role to play in ensuring that they help to create awareness in their constituencies and supervise control measures against the devastating African army worm. (Daily Nation)

-- Journalists in Zambia have urged the government to ensure that the profession is protected this year after a turbulent 2016.

The media industry in Zambia had a turbulent 2016 which saw the closure of the country's biggest private newspaper, the Post, while the country's biggest private television, Muvi, was also temporarily closed. The year also saw a number of journalists being attacked while on duty.

Andrew Sakala, the president of the Press Association of Zambia, said 2016 was a challenging year for journalists and hoped that the government would do more to ensure protection of the media. (The Mast). Endit