CBU lecturer urges diversification of C/belt economy

CBU lecturer urges diversification of C/belt economy
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Wed 04 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

COPPERBELT University (CBU) School of Business Dean Dr Shadreck Chama has said there is need to look at new and innovative ways of diversifying the Copperbelt economy before it is too late. And CBU School of Business Lecturer Professor John Lungu has observed that no meaningful diversification will occur if there is no emphasis on entrepreneurship.

During an inception workshop dubbed 'Learning from local economic development practice to strengthen entrepreneurship in Zambia's Copperbelt' held at Shebourne Guest House in Kitwe yesterday, Dr Chama said the recent experiences arising from the global recession were a wake-up call that Zambia and the Copperbelt in particular could not forever depend on copper.

The inception workshop was between CBU and the Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT) of the United Kingdom's Wolverhampton University.
Dr Chama said there was need to look for alternatives and imagine how the Copperbelt would be without copper.

He said there was urgent need to diversify and take entrepreneurship seriously.
And Prof Lungu said the business community was the only one capable of carrying out diversification through entrepreneurship.

He observed that although the Copperbelt had produced wealth that had sustained the country's economy since 1928, the sector had been steadily declining since the 1970's and that it was incapable of creating as much employment as it was in the past.
Prof Lungu said most mines were coming to the end of their productive lifespan and that were likely to close by 2017.

"So we have to ask ourselves, what will be Copperbelt without mining?" he said. "This is where we have to re-think and evaluate the role of CBU in restructuring the local economy. We need to make strong linkages between ourselves and industry."

He observed that over the years, universities, CBU included, had been working in isolation from what was happening in the communities surrounding their locations and that there was need for this trend to change if people were to appreciate universities.
Meanwhile, CBU Vice Chancellor Professor Mutale Musonda said CBU was eager to make a contribution on how job losses could be reduced using some strategies employed by other countries in turning around their economies.

Prof Musonda observed that job losses arising from the global economic downturn had sharpened existing needs for local economic development agenda focused on generating employment and thus on using local institutional capacity to upgrade entrepreneurial skills and enhance the employment prospects of students and other economically active people.