By Linda Kwanjana
Dr Victoria Kwakwa who is World Bank Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, has commended Malawi leader President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for his efforts in promoting human capital agenda.
Kwakwa said Malawi has put up a grand fight in human capital investment despite challenges facing the nation.
Kwakwa was speaking on Wednesday after meeting Malawi delegation led by President Dr Lazarus Chakwera, at Julius Nyerere Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
She said Malawi has made progress over the past 20 years but needs to do more as the population is still growing.
She then reaffirmed World Bank’s strong commitment to support Malawi.
Speaking during the summit, the Malawi President called on fellow African leaders to invest more in youth and skills development to accelerate Human Capital Development to achieve African Agenda 2063.
Addressing delegates, President Chakwera said channeling more resources to the youth and skills development will widen economic opportunities which will in turn make the agenda 2063 possible.
Chakwera said his government, will invest between 15 and 20 percent of the national budget in multiple effect ministries such as Education, Health, Labour and Youth, as a way of ensuring that the youth realize their potential, skills and contribute positively to agenda 2063.
Speaking during his departure at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Chakwera said human capital remains key for Malawi to attain Sustainable Development Goals (DDGs).
Chakwera said with human capital, Malawi can be turned into an inclusively wealthy and industrialised nation.
Said the President: “When you are talking about Malawi 2063, so we become an inclusively wealthy industrialised, self reliant nation, and when you are talking about SDGs 2030, these things can’t really happen without human capital development. You will notice that our vision is youth centric, and so the young people will need to be educated, stay healthy and have innovative minds that are capable of creating that future.”
Chakwera said healthy and well nurtured youths are the engine for social and economic development growth.
