Kunkuyu applauds DMI University for ICT skills training Project

Lilongwe, September 13, MANA: Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu, has applauded DMI St. John the Baptist University for its ‘ICT Skills for All’ project which is building human capacity through training as well as promoting the countries National ICT Policy.

Speaking during a graduation ceremony at Golden Peacock in Lilongwe, the Minister, who was the guest of honour commended the good work that DMI is performing which has seen 370 civil servants and Malawi School Certificate Examination (MSCE) holders graduate with a certificate in ICT.

Kunkuyu emphasised the need for ICT training as one way of transforming the economy and driving the digitalisation agenda of the country which will help Malawi align with other countries at a time when the world is going digital.

“What DMI has done is very commendable as it has complemented government efforts by partnering with government to train those in the civil service and those who have just attained their MSCE certificates,

We believe the skills the graduates have acquired will be put to good use such as running businesses, developing content, engaging in e-commerce as well as promoting their workplace and given responsibilities,” he said.

The Minister further encouraged the graduates to display employability and promotable behaviour through their performance while making sure that they remain productive so that the country can benefit from their skills.

Addressing the 370 enthusiastic ICT graduates, Deputy Vice Chancellor responsible for academic affairs within DMI University, Dr. Benedicto Malunga emphasised on the need to include everyone in ending the digital divide which he says has greatly impacted the way of life.

“ICT is now an integral part of life, we therefore cannot afford to leave anyone behind but make sure we move together,

The program from which these graduands are graduating from was established to address the national gaps in the utilisation of ICT in Malawi since ICT is one of the transformational drivers of the economy,” said Dr. Malunga.

Malunga further implored other universities and institutions to take special interest in domesticating various technologies.

Delivering his felicitations, the Pro-Chancellor of DMI St. John the Baptist University, Most Reverend Montfort Sitima highlighted how Africa still lags behind in its ICT penetration despite that learning, and every sector of the country is being replaced by interactive digital platforms.

He said that as of 2000, the number of internet users globally was at 390 million which has however increased to 5.18 billion representing 64.6 % of the world population hence the need to boost ICT skills in the country which DMI has embarked on using its ICT infrastructure and facilities to train working professionals in ICT skills.

One of the graduates, Witcar Halifax Nkhata, a teacher at Ekwendeni CDSS commended the university for the skills imparted which he says will help in his teaching profession.

“I am very thankful to the university for the skills which will help me improve my teaching and delivery methods when I return to school owing to the fact that I can now teach using a laptop, projector and other equipment’s,” he said.

The ICT skills for all project was launched in August 2022 and is expected to run for five years equipping civil servants and MSCE holders with certificates in ICT.

Mana/mqt/sbn