President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has challenged the newly graduated students at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) to become producers, rather than consumers. choose between being consumers or producers.
Chakwera made the call on Monday in Blantyre during the second congregation at MUBAS, where about 344 students (237 males, and 107 females) graduated with certificates, diplomas and degrees from various programmes.
The President, who is also the Chancellor of MUBAS, observed that Malawi is at cross-roads where the people must choose between two paths.
“The first path before us is to become a nation and a people that produce more than they consume, and the second path is to remain a nation and a people that consume more than they produce,” he said.
The Malawi leader said it was surprising that many citizens claim to believe in production, yet their behaviour shows that their “true religion” is consumption.
“Such people act with entitlement with resources that belong to others, waiting around for good things to come magically or miraculously, instead of using the opportunities and resources God has already given them to create value,” said Chakwera.
He continued: “They spend hours online consuming data, reading useless posts designed to turn you into a hopeless and angry person, instead of spending hours online setting up businesses on websites like Stan Store, where thousands of other young people all over the world are turning their content into millions of dollars in the bank.”
Chakwera said his government expected to see the newly graduated students turn the tables and focus more on production.
He urged them to orient their livelihoods towards production, and start spending time researching what areas of production are most lucrative, and what markets are available in that area, creating innovative solutions that are tailor-made to meet the needs of that market.
He further encouraged the graduates to forge partnerships with people who would open doors to enter the market with the ideas and solutions in a win-win arrangement.
“On top of this, stay away from masters of kulubwalubwa and kuwuwawuwa and clinging to those Malawians who are creating solutions and making change happen,” he advised.
MUBAS Vice Chancellor, Associate Professor Nancy Chitera, said the institution has produced a number of innovations to contribute to Agriculture Tourism and Manufacturing (ATM) strategy, and she advised the newly graduated students to produce impactful innovations for the nation and beyond.
“It is not only the knowledge they have gained, but also practical experience in research, innovation, and production,” she said
McHurrington Phiri, who graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Commerce Taxation, said the knowledge he has acquired throughout his studies will be pivotal in his career.
“I will use the knowledge gained from MUBAS to help clients navigate complex tax-related issues,” he said.
MUBAS offers over 115 programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
