‘Malawi’s future lies in industrialisation’
Agriculture, which is the mainstay of Malawi’s economy, is only a starting point because real development lies in industrialisation, an expert has said.
Dr Christopher Guta, who was until July 31 the head of Malawi Industrial Research and Technology Development Centre (MIRTDC), said this on Saturday during a farewell dinner in Blantyre.
“If you look at the history of development, agriculture is always a starting point. But to move to real development, we need deliberate action to move up the stream in making production in the country,” said Guta.
MIRTDC, which is now a department under the Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must), was established as a parastatal organisation in November, 1991 when the first head of State Kamuzu Banda signed its Trust Deed.
Upon signing, the State president appointed the “Original Trustees” who included secretary for Industry and Trade, the secretary for Research and Environmental Affairs, the secretary for the Treasury, research coordinator of the University of Malawi, director general of the Malawi Bureau of Standards and chairperson of the Malawi Confederation Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
You are 300% right!!! It is the only strategy known to man and woman to develop a nation! Unfortunately, Malawi is being hoodwinked by the so called donors to concentrate on Agriculture sorely. We must rise up as a nation and bring about industrialisation now! Malawians may not know exactly how to do it or what it means to industrialise but it is incumbent upon those in the know to advocate industrialisation as the ultimate strategy that will bring about wealth and completely (,,,I mean absolutely eliminate poverty). Fellow Malawians this has nothing to do with tribalism, regionalism or ethnicity. We can do this.
I have a practical solution that within 10-15 years can transform these shores into super performing economy that can happily gallop to GDP $10bn, $30bn $60bn, $100 bn…..etc.
This generation cannot fail our people. Those of us in the know must advocate for the real solution for development. Singapore economy has outpaced Malawi’s simply by industrialising vs Malaw’is agriculture. Everyone must understand that continuing with agriculture in its current form as we have done in the past 50 years is a do nothing strategy and hence the economy remains stagnant. The irony is one of beneficiary sectors of industrialisation will be …yes you guessed it…agriculture output will treble. However, do not be fooled it is not easy because there is a secret of doing it that has eluded Africa as the whole and Malawi in particular. I have the secrete for industrialisation in my hands…comfort ye, comfort ye Malawians …we have the secrete to industrialisation crystalized into implementable components!! No one should doubt or cause you to doubt that Malawi cannot do it. On the eve of its industrialisation the US GDP per capita was less than Malawi’s. On the eve of its industrialisation, England was a bunch of tribes men surviving on wild berries. Starvation and cholera and other mass killings diseases were prevalent. Those examples were in the 1700s. More recent sad story turned into happiness is that of China. China now paused to become the largest economy in the world was 50 years ago (when Malawi) was fighting for independence China had amass starvation where over 20-30 million perished because agriculture could not support the population and rains failed. Each of these economy saved themselves by industrialising and the rest is history. I will keep banging on this message until we get critical mass in agreement as a nation from Nsanje, Neno, Salima through to Chitipa. We are one proud people, one proud nation,one very intelligent nation and we will make it! No one should divide us! Malawi Industrialisation now!