Fourth republican president Rupiah Banda has called on African Heads of State to increase tertiary education opportunities for young people to enable the continent to develop and be competitive in the global village.

According to a statement issued by the First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa Naomi Nyawali, Banda said this at the African Presidential Leadership meeting held in South Africa.

And Banda also noted that a well educated African population would help accelerate Africa’s development agenda as young people would be well equipped to rise to the challenges that the continent was facing.

“Mr Banda observed that the world was now living in a technological era which demanded for a well educated population in order to effectively manage every aspects of human life. He said Africa needed a versatile and innovative model of financing higher education in order to increase access of young people to quality education. Mr Banda further observed that the solution was in harnessing private and government sectors strengthen in a collaborative way. He called on former African Heads of State to continue promoting initiatives towards the promotion of higher education on the continent in order for Africa to develop and be competitive in the global village,” stated Nyawali.

The African Presidential Leadership meeting which was held in Johannesburg City in South Africa was attended by several former African Heads of State among them former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Former Ghanaian President John Mahama and Kailash Purryaa of Mauritius.

Others were Jakaya Kitwete of Tanzania while Zambia was represented by its fourth President Rupiah Banda.