President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has reiterated his dedication to the development and strengthening of institutions of higher learning and the implementation of policies that promote innovation.
Chakwera was speaking at the first Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences Congregation at MUBAS campus in Blantyre, where he was also installed as the University’s Chancellor.
The president disclosed that his administration has increased upkeep loans for students in public institutions from 350,000 to 560,000 per student as he had earlier promised.
Chakwera at Mubas
Chakwera said the congregation marks a significant shift from training young people to occupy officer posts to equiping them with the technical expertise to be industrious, contributing to the country’s development through their innovation and enterprise.
Citing the groundbreaking ceremonies of the Chileka Likuni road under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the Lilongwe industrial park, Chakwera said the numerous development projects across the country need the innovative skills of the graduates.
“We need to have innovators now not the future as you are the leaders Malawi needs today to build the future,” he remarked.
In her remarks, Professor Nancy Chitera who is Vice-Chancellor of MUBAS commended President Chakwera for his dedication to the promotion of high-quality education in the country.
She said the university is positioned to contribute to the Malawi 2063 vision in the areas of agriculture productivity and mechanisation, industrialisation and urbanisation.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) says there is need for financiers to reform their financial system to support the growth transformation of the African continent.
AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina was speaking to the press ahead of the official opening of the bank’s annual meetings on Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya.
He said the current global financial crisis architecture has much disadvantages on Africa amid insufficient funding gaps for infrastructure development,food security,energy and climate change.
AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina
Adesina further said there are poor ratings and credit downgrades placed on African countries’ sovereign bonds which have higher interest rates compared to their counterparts in other markets.
“This year, African countries are expected to pay at least $74billion in debt service, up from $17billion in 2010.
“One of the key reasons behind Africa’s slow structural transformation has to do with insufficient resource mobilization, both internally and externally. Internally, Africa generates too little fiscal revenues, with tax revenue mobilization largely oil and commodities dependent, volatile and lags other regions,” Adesina said.
The meeting is being held under the theme “Africa’s transformation, African Development Bank Group and reform of the global financial architecture.”
The meeting has brought together high level decision makers from across the African continent and others.
Investment in physical infrastructure and human capital are also crucial. There must be efficient institutions that provide the right set of incentives to farmers and entrepreneurs. Social policies are required to promote health, education, and social capital, as well as to provide safety nets to protect the poor.
Underdevelopment can be overcome in Africa. Empowering individuals, fostering a mindset of innovation and resilience, is key. As Africans, we must invest in education, technology, and leadership development to bridge the gap. Our progress on the global stage is intricately linked to our ability to overcome internal challenges.
We can make Africa better. Our results suggest that domestic investment, net ODA inflows, education, government effectiveness, urban population, and metal prices positively and significantly affect Africa’s economic growth.
The Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) is a continental initiat resources to transform Africa with modern infrastructure. Its cross-border infrastructure projects and programs cover four main sectors: energy, transport, cross-border water and ICT.
Nearly 282 million people in Africa (about 20 percent of the population) are undernourished, an increase of 57 million people since the COVID-19 pandemic began. More than a billion people are unable to afford a healthy diet. Around 30 percent of children are stunted because of malnutrition.
Access to energy will make or break the continent’s effort to adapt against climate change including adverse weather events, water scarcity, and significant threats to livelihoods. However, Africans are getting the short end of the stick in the global race to combat climate change when it comes to energy.
First Lady, Madame Monica Chakwera, is currently in Geneva, Switzerland, where she is attending the World Health Summit as the Tuberculosis Ambassador for Malawi and the SADC Region.
The First Lady is expected to deliver an official address at the summit on May 29, 2024, and she recently participated in the WHA77 side event focusing on breaking barriers and utilizing digital technology for early action on diseases.
Madam Chakwera
Before travelling to Switzerland, Madame Chakwera recently hosted a luncheon at Kamuzu Palace for TB survivors and partners working towards ending TB in Malawi on March 30, 2024.
Madame Chakwera’s attendance at the event was made possible through an invitation from the Stop TB Partnership, which launched the Coalition of Leaders during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in New York in September 2023 to lead global efforts to end Tuberculosis (TB).
During the same week, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis passed a political Declaration that includes targets and commitments to be achieved by 2027.
The World TB Report (2022) revealed that TB claimed 1.3 million lives, including 167,000 individuals living with HIV, in 2022 alone. In Malawi, there were 26,000 reported TB cases in 2021, resulting in 3,000 deaths. The country had 45% of TB cases undetected, indicating a significant number of undiagnosed cases.
However, Malawi has made significant progress, with the incidence of TB declining from 338 people per 100,000 population in 2010 to 125 people per 100,000 population in 2022.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau(ACB) Director General (DG) Martha Chizuma, says she will not renew her contract when it expires this coming Friday.
Chizuma has led the bureau since her appointment in 2021 and has been credited with several successes in the fight against corruption, including the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Source Book for primary schools and the enactment of the Whistleblower Protection Act.
However, her tenure has also been marked by challenges and controversy.
Chizuma
In 2022, she became the first ACB Director General to be arrested and detained.
Although she was later discharged, the incident highlighted the challenges she faced in tackling corruption in Malawi.
Despite these challenges, Chizuma has remained committed to the fight against corruption and her decision not to renew her contract has been seen as a surprise by many.
The government claimed that the bureau is adequately funded, but Chizuma has disputed this, saying that the reality on the ground is different.
“The bureau faced a four-month funding gap in the 2023/2024 financial year, resulting in significant debts and other challenges,” says Chizuma.
Chizuma holds a Masters of Laws in International Economic Law from the University of East London and Bachelor of Laws with Honors (LLB) from University of Malawi(UNIMA).
Her departure from the ACB marks the end of an era in Malawi’s fight against corruption.
The United States of America (USA) Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has given Malawi Government $7 million (about K12 billion) in response to food insecurity and other humanitarian needs as a result of El Nino.
USAID Malawi Mission director Pamela Fessenden made the announcement at a press briefing in Blantyre on Tuesday.
Fessenden said USAID has partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“This means two million households [nine million people] announced by the Government of Malawi, who have lost their crops due to the El Nino-induced drought during the 2023/24 agriculture season, will receive assistance,” she said.
On his part, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) deputy director responsible for disaster preparedness Fedson Chikuse said the donation will reduce the amount needed to mitigate the impact of El Nino.
Chikuse said that out of a $446 million budget, they have managed to so far source $14 million with well-wishers pledging $64 million.
