Vice Chancellors Approve SAVE Project Funding Restructure

Vice Chancellors for Malawi Public Universities have approved proposals to restructure funding allocations for their institutions under the Skills for A Vibrant Economy (SAVE) Project. The SAVE Project is funded by the World Bank for US$100 million (MK180 billion).

The Objective for the SAVE Project is to increase equitable access to market-relevant skills in priority areas of the economy, especially for females and vulnerable youth.

Secretary for Education Associate Professor Mangani Katundu said when he opened the meeting that the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) was critical to human capital development by imparting relevant knowledge that increases the skills stock for generating innovations in various sectors of the economy.

“The Ministry will always depend on your knowledge, skills, expertise, experience and capabilities to provide overall strategic guidance towards achieving the project development objective (PDO),” he said when he opened the meeting at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in Blantyre.

The proposed restructuring follows a project implementation Mid-Term Review (MTR) conducted by the World Bank from October to November 2024. The MTR established that the funding allocation per institution were under-budgeted for. The situation is exacerbated by the down-turn of the economy since the SAVE Project was rolled out in 2021.

Dr. Katundu reminded the Vice Chancellors that the main objective of their meeting was to review, confirm and consider proposals which institutions submitted to the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to ensure that they allocate adequate funds to complete their planned activities on schedule by June, 2026.

“I need not overemphasize that the SAVE project has come at the right time when we are implementing the Malawi 2063 agenda which recognizes the role and importance of human capital development to realizing the aspirations of the Malawi, we want to see by the year 2063” he said.

Hosting the meeting, Vice Chancellor for MUBAS, Associate Professor Nancy Chitera informed the academicians that the SAVE Project was already registering impact at MUBAS and expected huge impact by 2026 when the project closes.

“We have seen growth to student population enrollment which is very critical and important,” she explained saying the decisions they make during the meeting would have huge bearing for HEIs in Malawi.

Eight (8) HEIs, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS); Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR; Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS); Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST); Mzuzu University (MZUNI); University of Malawi (UNIMA); Domasi College of Education and Nalikule College of Education are among the beneficiary institutions funded by the SAVE Project. Seven (7) National Technical Colleges (NTCs) and 15 Community Technical Colleges (CTCs) are also beneficiary institutions under the SAVE Project.

Director of Higher Education (DHE) in the Ministry of Education (MoE) who is also Chair for the SAVE Project Technical Committee (PTC) Dr Levis Eneya said when closing the meeting that he was thankful to everybody for their input and commitment, describing the meeting as "very successful".

With 17 months left to the end of the SAVE Project, Dr Eneya urged the Vice Chancellors to already begin to put up a proposal for a successor project for the MoE to lobby development partners for funding through Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs. He echoed the call for stakeholders to prioritise timely implementation of their activities.