Suruma tells graduates to embrace agriculture

Kampala. Makerere University Chancellor, Prof Ezra Suruma, has asked the graduates to embrace agriculture to fight back in the face of rising unemployment in the country.
Prof Suruma said this yesterday while presiding over the 69th Graduation ceremony at the main campus in Kampala.
The Chancellor asked the graduates to take agriculture seriously. In Uganda, self-employment in agriculture is a main source of livelihood with at least 68 per cent of the population engaged in subsistence farming.
However, the sector according to available statistics employs more than 85 per cent of the population.
Prof Suruma said the agricultural sector has the potential to absorb all the 13,000 graduates because of the many untapped opportunities
“There are opportunities in increasing production, processing, drying, standardising, storage and marketing in the domestic, regional and global market that you graduates can engage in,” Prof Suruma said.

Govt intervention
He added that the sector, if given full attention by government, can also spur the country’s economic growth further.
“If we can get $1.5b from coffee alone, this is the same amount of money we get from oil, there is no reason why we cannot obtain large sums of money from other agricultural commodities such as beans, maize, cassava and ginger and increase our GDP and achieve full employment,” Prof Suruma explained.
The 2016 National Housing and Population Census by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics revealed that about 10 million Ugandans of the productive age between 14 and 64 are unemployed.
Statistics from the labour department show that of the 400,000 students, who graduate from various tertiary institutions across the country each year, only 8,000 have a chance of being gainfully employed.
This means that for every one job that is available, there are at least 50 qualified people labouring to get it. Labour market experts say given the widespread corruption in the country, even the most qualified for the available jobs do not get them because the labour market is highly “patronised”.
Prof Suruma explained that even with challenges in accessing capital on competitive terms, “there is still hope to reform the financial sector so that the fresh graduates and [unemployed] youth can access affordable capital if they are to take full advantage of the country’s natural resources.”
Pro Suruma also advised the graduates to be agents of change by being more innovative and creative so that they can add value to the current raw materials in the country.
At least 3,407 students from Makerere University Business School (Mubs) in Nakawa, graduated with degrees and diplomas in various disciplines.

Commended
Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe commended the Mubs principal, Prof Waswa Balunywa, and the council for leading a disciplined institution.
“I want to congratulate the Mubs council and management for resisting thuggery in their ranks, indiscipline and impunity by either students or staff. This cannot be accepted in a modern university. It is very disappointing when indiscipline creeps into the governing body of a university,” Prof Nawangwe said.
His remarks came after President Museveni praised him for sacking undisciplined staff at the university.
Prof Balunywa also advised the fresh graduates to be disciplined if they are to get jobs.
“Today is a beginning of another journey, keep the discipline that has been known from you, there are thousands of people with jobs, there are thousands with degrees looking for jobs, it’s up to you to show a difference,” Prof Balunywa said.