Prioritise ’varsity education, APM tells African leaders

President Peter Mutharika has encouraged his fellow African leaders to put universities at the centre of the African project to develop leading minds that will build a new Africa.

In his acceptance speech of an honorary degree of Letters Honoris Causa from Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia on Saturday, the President said Africa’s collective project is to attain more economic autonomy and end the poverty of its people in the decades to come.

“Every African must be made to realise that African problems can best be solved by Africans. The rest of the world can support us and they do graciously support us as a common family of humankind. But it is our duty to save our African situation.

“The African university must be the first to lead us in this thinking. The first university in the world came from Africa and the African university can lead Africa,” said Mutharika in his speech delivered at the function in Addis Ababa and made available to The Nation.

Mutharika, who is also the Regional Universities Forum (Ruforum) champion of Higher Education in Africa, said the degree he received is an honour to him and Malawi as a country.

Malawi Government has since congratulated the President for the recognition, describing it as an honour to the Malawi nation.

Minister of Information, Communications Technology and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati, who is the official government spokesperson, said in a statement released on Saturday the country derives pride from the fact that one of its sons has been honoured in recognition for his distinguished contribution and service to the world.