By Cathy Maulidi:
President Lazarus Chakwera Tuesday spoke against what he called the tendency of some people to just speak without translating what they say into action to develop Malawi.
Chakwera made the sentiments during World Creativity and Innovation commemorations, which took place in Lilongwe under the theme ‘Create and Innovate for the Malawi We Want’.
“They speak but no action. Let us not be cheated by those who have multiple [academic] degrees and always speak classroom theories but score zero out of 10t when it comes to developing our nation.
“I am not saying education is bad, but education with no tangible outcomes or no contribution to your society and nation is what I call a problem,” he said.
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The President added that creative and innovative Malawians must receive all the support and praise as they have the potential to develop and change the nation.
“That is why my government has set aside K75 billion through the National Economic Empowerment Fund to support creative and innovative youth with capital to start businesses,” he said.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Rebecca Adda- Dontoh, who also spoke at the event, said creativity and innovation have the potential to improve Malawi’s economy.
“Unfortunately, the creative industries are least harnessed for wealth creation and sustainable peace and development in Malawi, yet they hold great potential not just for creating jobs and wealth but also for enhancing social cohesion and citizen engagement in governance and public spaces,” she said.
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During the commemoration, Chakwera presented the public sector innovation challenge awards to ministries of Tourism and Mining.
The two ministries have each won a $40,000 grant from the UN to implement their “outstanding innovative ideas”.
In 2002, the UN designated April 21 as World Creativity and Innovation Day to advocate for the raising of awareness about the important role of creativity and innovation in global development.
