National Planning Commission (NPC) chairperson Professor Richard Mkandawire says he is honoured for being nominated for the honorary degree (honoris causa) by the University of Pretoria in South Africa, one of the continent’s prestigious universities.

In a letter addressed to Mkandawire dated August 11 2022, University of Pretoria vice-chancellor and principal Professor Tawana Kupe said the Malawian has been nominated “for his contributions to the transformation of Africa’s agriculture and food systems as well as the empowerment of the youth on the continent”.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mkandawire, a socio-economist and rural development expert, said he has accepted the honour with humility.

He said: “Who can refuse such an honour from a great and prestigious university in Africa? This will definitely put Malawi on the map. I am still actively engaged in agriculture policy development in Africa.”

Mkandawire: This will definitely put
Malawi on the map

Mkandawire said this is his second honorary degree after the one he got from University of KwaZulu-Natal and added that he thinks this time around, he has largely been recognised for being the principal architect of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (Caadp), which has become Africa’s blueprint for agricultural transformation, wealth creation, food security and nutrition and economic growth.

In his motivation letter to nominate Mkandawire for the honorary doctorate, Professor Frans Swanepoel, who is the director for strategic international partnerships for Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, said Mkandawire’s leadership and contribution towards development initiatives across Africa are embodied in his practical work in public policy and academia over the past four decades.

He said in various senior positions he has held on the continent and internationally, Mkandawire has transformed institutions and lives in a variety of areas, including food policy and agriculture, land tenure systems and agrarian development, gender and development and youth empowerment.

Said Swanepoel: “His expertise and leadership while at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development now African Union Development Agency, was instrumental in translating the 2003 Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security into Caadp, an inclusive agenda with tangible impact.”

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