MUSIKA REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TOWARDS PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS

“The agriculture sector offers immense opportunities for commercialization of institutions of learning through the provision of market based solutions to challenges that exist in the industry by taking a leading role in market driven research and product, development, commercialization of agricultural technologies, extension service provision  and entrepreneurship training for those intending to take up farming as a business,”Musika Managing Director  Reuben Banda observed.

Mr. Banda said the opportunities offered by the agriculture sector can only be harnessed when capacity is built within learning constitutions to be able to develop and strengthen their internal systems.

He was speaking during the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Musika and the University of Zambia (UNZA) School of Agricultural Science valued at 55,000 United States dollars,

The MOU is aimed at helping to amplify the university’s critical role in the development of the agriculture sector in the country with the first activity to focus on the enhancement of entrepreneurship skills training in the School of Agricultural Sciences.

 “The MOU is for the development and implementation of the entrepreneurial skills training enhancement program, an initiative by the School of Agricultural Science,” Mr. Banda said.

 “Musiaka’s financial and technical support to the School Of Agricultural Science is meant to strengthen staff capacities to deliver entrepreneurial training, support the costs associated with conducting skills needs assessment for students and develop an entrepreneurship course module that is appropriate  for implementing the program.”

 Mr. Banda believes that if successfully implemented, the Entrepreneurship Skills Training Enhancement Program has the potential to catalyze a substantive shift in the curriculum development of education institutions adding that there is a possibility of providing an additional financial support to implement other complementary programs.

This he said could result in an increased number of students opting to become entrepreneurs and running successful agribusiness even before they graduate , a move which could in turn contribute to employment creation as well as translate into the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP).

He further state that the program was adding a new and exciting dimension to the organization market based approach to development, by providing them with the opportunity to extend support to institutions of higher learning like UNZA that demonstrates  their ability and willingness to adapt to the changing needs of both learners globally and industrial in general.

Meanwhile Mr. Banda  indicated that “Musika has over 80  corporate clients that are providing  improved market access to approximately ,460,000 smallholders farmers across Zambia ,along four key focus areas namely ,business and finance ,agriculture diversification ,agricultural technology  and environmental markets.”

“Musika’s approach to reducing poverty and creating wealth in rural Zambia involves stimulating the development of a supportive market environment that provides long term and sustainable opportunities for farmers to invest in their own production and to use the markets to graduate out of poverty.”

He added that through its private sector partnership ,Musika has facilitated the establishment of about 2,000 new points access to agriculture inputs and services ranging from Micro, Small and Medium –sized  intermediaries such as sales agents and small traders.

And speaking at the same event UNZA Vice Chancellor, Luke Mumba noted that while the University of Zambia maybe a big reservoir of knowledge through its well trained staff ,they cannot achieve much if they do not partner with other equally  important institution such as Musika.

Professor Mumba regretted  that most of the students that pass through UNZA go out to look for jobs and if they fail to find one they end up destitute.

He says against this backdrop it was the desire of the institution, that students must be prepared  to be job creators for themselves and others.

 “This activity proposed by the school of agricultural science and Musika is a step in the right direction .I want to see a successful completion of the first activity proposed in this agreement,” he said.

 Professor Mumba also emphasized that the university wants graduates not only to know something about entrepreneurship but actually be entrepreneurs.