The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malawi (UNIMA) Professor Samson Sajidu has underscored the vital role of young people in driving national development, while lamenting the limited resources that hinder them from transforming their innovative ideas into viable technologies.

He made the remarks on Tuesday in Zomba during the official opening of a training workshop for the first cohort of incubatees under the Food Innovation and Technology Hub (FIT-Hub), which operates within the Center for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (CRAFS) at UNIMA, with support from the World Bank.

Professor Sajidu emphasized the need for practical support in nurturing agri-food system innovations, especially in value addition and areas affected by post-harvest losses.

“Malawi continues to lose vast amounts of produce such as mangoes due to inadequate preservation methods. These are challenges our youth can help solve if given the right tools,” said Professor Sajidu.

CRAFS FIT-Hub lead, Associate Professor Victoria Ndolo from the Department of Human Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, said the program selected 16 participants who will receive training in areas such as business planning and product development.

According to Ndolo, the top 10 will be awarded financial support of up to USD 5,000 and provided with mentorship to help them bring their innovations to the market.

One of the participants, Mwambo Enifa Chuza, a biological sciences student at UNIMA, said she aims to develop a tomato soil inoculant designed to boost tomato yield and quality for local farmers.

She expressed optimism that the training will not only enhance the quality of her product but also provide the financial and technical support needed to eventually establish her own company.