$30m Science Centre to Be Constructed In Zambia

The United Nations Technology Bank (UNTB) has agreed to set up a regional centre for Science, Technology and Innovation in Zambia at a cost of $30 million.

Higher Education Minister Dr Brian Mushimba has said the decision to allow Zambia to host the regional centre of excellence for the SADC region was reached during a two-day Science, Technology and Innovation consultative meeting in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

He said the UNTB, which was represented by its Managing Director for Least Developed Countries Joshua Setipa, indicated that the project would be completed within 12 months once construction was commenced.

Dr. Mushimba told the Zambian Mission in Pretoria, which has extra accreditation to the Republic of Madagascar, that the establishment of the center in Zambia would help the country build capacities around science, technology and innovation as well as engineering and mathematics.

He said a Memorandum of Understanding was expected to be signed during the ground-breaking ceremony to be held in Lusaka soon.

Dr. Mushimba said the regional centre of excellence would help the region attain its 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

The minister was accompanied to Madagascar by the leadership of Zambia Academy of Sciences (ZAS) led by Professor Kavwanga Yambayamba and some Ministry staff in charge of science and technology.