The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has on Wednesday evening announced the launch of a new $40 million (about K46.4 billion) project that will work with anchor firms to expand centers of economic opportunity (Growth Poles) in the country.
The project, meant for smallholder farmers, youth, and women, is expected to help approximately 500 000 Malawians increase and diversify their income sources.
A statement from the US Embassy in Lilongwe says the five-year Growth Poles Project will be implemented by Palladium and will leverage $500 million (about K580 billion) in private sector investments.
Pamela Fessenden
“These new partnerships are designed to improve food security and bolster exports from Malawi. Through the new project, USAID will team up with key firms in rural areas that serve as engines of economic growth to mobilize responsible business investments and deliver positive benefits for surrounding communities.
“Additionally, by employing climate-smart natural resource management, these partnerships will protect 150,000 hectares of land from deforestation or soil degradation,” reads the statement in part.
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has reaffirmed the government’s commitment towards improving university education by among others putting up new and modern teaching and learning structures for the advancement of tertiary education.
Speaking Wednesday in Zomba during the graduation of 360 students at the Great Hall, University of Malawi (Unima) campus, Dr Chakwera said when he ascended to power, he made a commitment to support Unima by ensuring that better educational facilities are put in place.
He therefore commended Unima leadership for taking a greater interest in ensuring that all infrastructural developments are on course to meet current tertiary education requirements.
Focusing on the day’s graduation, Dr. Chakwera said Malawi was not supposed to experience leadership gaps while universities are well equipped to produce good leaders in both the public and private sector.
“I don’t expect any department, agency or any organisation to suffer from leadership gaps because Unima is here,” the president said and advised graduating students to become agents of change and instrumental in various fields.
He further advised newly graduated students to desist from immoral behaviours at any cost, so that they should be relevant and meaningful in the society, adding that their tertiary education and lifestyle should make them models to aspire and inspire those around them.
The president said he is saddened by the conduct of some graduates who engage in corruption and other unethical undertakings.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi, Professor Samson Sajidu said the university has within years established good partnerships with other universities both within and outside Malawi as one way of improving education standards.
Prof. Sajidu added that Unima has embarked on various resource mobilisation strategies to ensure that the university continues to offer improved and quality education.
Unima Chairperson, Dr. George Patridge said apart from infrastructural development, plans are under way to internationalise the university to allow the university to compete with other universities in the region and beyond Africa.
” We are also intending to improve access to tertiary education by increasing enrollment from the current 11,000 to about 15,000 by 2025,” he said while commending the government for continued financial support which has seen Unima implementing various development activities both academic and non-academic.
Before the graduation, the president toured some infrastructural development being undertaken by the Unima such as construction of a modern office complex and a newly constructed school of economics within the Unima campus.
Red Lions hopes of surviving in the TNM Super League suffered yet another blow after they slumped to a 2-0 loss to Kamuzu Barracks in a match that took place at Balaka Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Gregory Nachipo broke the deadlock to put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute after receiving a cross from Levison Maganizo.
Ndaona Daisi increased the visitors’ lead in the 40th minute, connecting well a free-kick taken by Maganizo who was also voted Man of the match.
In the second half Red Lions made a triple substitution bringing in the experienced legs of Moses Namkumba, Ferguson Mtondo and Brown Gondwe replacing the youthful Hamphreys Minandi, Franklin Titani and Stanley Duwe
The introduction of the trio proved effective as Red Lions began to play better than the Lilongwe-based soldiers in the second half.
The hosts made the most of their numerical advantage in the last eight minutes following the dismissal of KB forward Zeliat Nkhoma in the 83rd minute for a second bookable offense.
The Zomba-based side created a number of clear-cut chances but Gondwe, Mkutu and Namkumba were guilty of squandering them.
Following the loss, Red Lions remain second from bottom with 21 points after playing 25 games and they need to win most of their remaining games if they are to survive in the league.
KB on the other hand are perched on position 5 with 39 points, a point behind fourth placed Silver Strikers but the army side have played two games more than the central bankers.
In other midweek games, Mafco FC and Silver Strikers shared the spoils as they drew 0-0 at Chitowe Stadium.
At Kamuzu Stadium, Frank Chikufenji, Precious Chipungu and Zikani Munthali were on target as Mighty Tigers beat Moyale Barracks 3-nil.
On Saturday, bottom placed Extreme FC hosts Bangwe All Stars at Nankhaka Stadium as Ekwendeni Hammers hosts the defending FCB Nyasa Big Bullets at Rumphi Stadium.
Dedza Dynamos will play Moyale Barracks at Dedza Stadium and on Sunday, Karonga United will host Mafco FC at Karonga Stadium.
Malawi Congress Party Secretary General Elsenhower Mkaka has branded Malawi president Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera as the most visionary and great leader.
Speaking at a development rally in Chikwawa, Mkaka said he was happy to see developments which Chakwera has initiated almost at every corner of the country.
The SG said Malawi will never be the same under the leadership of Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
Mkaka
Mkaka has since assured Malawians that they are in safe hands.
The SG cited numerous developments which Chakwera administration has initiated in the lower Shire and East Bank.
President Chakwera is in the Southern region where he is undertaking different development initiatives.
National Construction Industry Council (NCIC), says it is now working on a National Infrastructure Maintenance Strategy(NIMS) for it to achieve its mandate of service excellence, regulation and compliance, promotion and development as well as strategic partnership.
Chief Executive Office at NCIC, Gerlad Khonje made the sentiments during an interface with network of journalists in construction held in Salima where he disclosed that the strategic plan has some core values which are quality driven, integrity and professionalism, partnerships, agility as well as stakeholder focus which will help in accelerating delivery in the construction industry.
“As NCIC you are aware that our mandate is on promotion, development and regulation of the construction industry, basically we are here for the fourth pillar in our strategic plan which is strategic partnership, for us to ensure that there is quality infrastructure in the country it requires the participation of various stakeholders, and the media are very key in that regard, that’s why we are here.
Khonje
“So we want to share with the media in terms of various interventions that the council is doing, as well as sensitize stakeholders in terms of various aspects concerning infrastructure development, taking in mind that the infrastructure development is a very unique Industry taking that it is a complicated Industry and it involves alot of processes, so in that regard we have put together, Malawi infrastructure delivery standards, these are guidelines which will help every stakeholder in terms of how projects can be conceived, planned, designed, procured, executed as well as maintained so we are sharing with the media on that,” Khonje said.
He also mentioned infrastructure delivery management standards, where the council will be looking at how projects should be planned, how projects should be budgeted for, as well as in the issue of managing costs where they developed Costs Indices which will be working as a guide on what could be expected in terms of costs.
On the part of quality standards in different construction projects Khonje said as a Council they have been proactive in ensuring that the projects are planned and executed with the quality mind set.
“The strategic plan which i have just highlighted to you has a vision of transforming the construction industry to a quality driven and sustainable construction industry that means all the processes leading to infrastructure delivery has to have quality in mind, that being the case, we have not stopped there, we are actively monitoring various projects, and you are also aware that we introduced infrastructure technical Audit, and that Audit meant to be mainstreamed in every project, as NCIC, we piloted those audit in just three projects and the findings are very reveling in terms of challenges that are there, in project implementation and in ensuring that there is quality in infrastructure delivery,” Khonje highlighted.
On her part Vice, chairperson for the network of journalists in construction, Rose Kamera said evidence based reporting in issues of construction is very crucial to every journalist in order to make sure that the information that is being mainstreamed is bringing impact to the public.
