ZANZIBAR President, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi has appealed to universities and colleges to invest more in teaching various programmes on information and communications technology (ICT) to make Zanzibar an ICT hub in the East African region.
President Mwinyi made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by Second Vice President Hemed Suleiman Abdullah at the 19th graduation ceremony for the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) at its Tunguu campus in Unguja South Region.
Colleges and other learning institutions need to establish new programmes that are essential for the implementation of development plans to increase employment opportunities, he said, noting that
Zanzibar colleges’ hand the steering wheel in innovation will make them ready to put to effect national development plans.
Development of the blue economy is among key government priorities, where colleges must provide cooperation to the government by rolling out programmes to enable Zanzibar to reap ocean resources, the president asserted.
“We must depart from where we are, where not a single university or educational institution in Zanzibar has a programme to teach important programmes on fishing and the development of ocean resources,” he remarked. Colleges and universities must continue doing research to enable the community to solve the challenges they are facing, he emphasised.
The government understands that many colleges are faced with challenges regarding competition on new students’ enrolment contributed by the increasing number of colleges, he stated.
He also commanded the SUZA leadership for collaborating with the government to prepare experts and leaders at various levels in the 19-year period since its first graduation.
For his part, SUZA Vice Chancellor Dr Abdulkadir Othman Hafiz lauded the government for its efforts in developing the university, as it has provided expertise for many students in Zanzibar and the wider East African region.
Since its establishment in 1998 the university has enjoyed excellent cooperation from the government, enabling it to have helped attain its development targets.
SUZA academic Prof Haroonah Nsubuga said of the graduation that a total of 617 students qualified in various fields, being 345 women and 272 men, at certificate, diploma, bachelors’ and masters’ degrees.
