Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
THE Permanent Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Professor Fanuel Tagwira has called on Sadc countries to increase investment in education, science, technology and innovation as these are key drivers of economic development.
Speaking at the Sadc Joint Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Education and Training, Science, Technology and Innovation, held under the theme “Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustained Economic Growth and Development Towards an Industrialised SADC,” Prof Tagwira said regional cooperation and strategic partnerships are critical to building a competitive and industrialised Southern Africa.
“We need to invest in education and innovation,that is, increase investment in education, science, technology and innovation to drive economic growth and development,” he said.
Prof Tagwira said it was important to share best practices among member states, strengthen collaboration and align skills development with labour market demands.
He urged SADC member states to adopt the revised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Strategic Framework 2024–2030, endorse the Sadc Qualification Framework, the Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) System and the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Guidelines.
“Let us champion the Sadc Universe of Transformation as a beacon of Pan-African excellence,” Prof Tagwira said.
“As senior officials, we are the architects of policy implementation. The time for action is now.”
Prof Tagwira also acknowledged the contribution of development partners.
“We are grateful to our partners whose contributions to education, training, science and technology in our countries are worth mentioning.”
He highlighted support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for RPL initiatives, the African Development Bank for entrepreneurship development, and Obrero for qualification harmonisation. He also credited the Gates Foundation and UNICEF for literacy programmes, UNESCO for SDG4 alignment, and MEAD Africa for its work on Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
Prof Tagwira commended the Sadc Secretariat for its continued role in regional education advancement and called on member states to enhance their support for the Secretariat’s efforts.
