The College of African Wildlife Management Mweka (CAWM-Mweka) plans to open new campus in Iringa Region in a bid to support government efforts to promote tourism the southern zone regions.
The CAWM-Mweka Rector Prof Jafari Kideghesho made the revelation during the college’s 58th graduation ceremony held here recently.
“The establishment of the new campus will offer training to stakeholders and therefore contribute fully the government’s ambition to improve the tourism sector within the Southern Regions of Tanzania,” he said.
During the Karibu Southern Zone International Tourism exhibition earlier this month, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Ambassador Dr Pindi Chana directed the CAWM-Mweka to establish a campus in the southern regions.
The directives follow a request made by the Iringa Regional Commissioner Halima Dendegu to the CAWM-Mweka to establish a new campus in the region that will contribute in promoting tourism in the southern regions.
“The board of governors, management and my colleagues in general have received this directive as an opportunity for the growth of our college, considering that the area where the campus will be built is a strategic,” he noted.
The area earmarked for the new campus is accessible and also close to national parks, game and forest reserves such as such as Ruaha, Selous, Nyerere, Mikumi, Liparamba and Udzungwa.
Prof Kideghesho added that the college has already been allocated 50 acres in Kihesa Kilolo area within Iringa Municipality for the construction of the new campus.
For his part, the Deputy Permanent Secretary with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Mr Juma Mkomi said that the establishment of the campus will be a big step in producing more experts in the area of conservation of wildlife and natural resources of the Nation in general.
“The government continues to make major reforms in the wildlife and tourism sectors to make them productive, best practical education must be provided to various stakeholders; may I take this opportunity to advise the college to plan well so as to help the government achieve more through the reforms that have already begun to bear good fruits,” he said.
Commenting on the graduation occasion, Prof Kideghesho said for the year 2021/2022, a total of 356 graduates from Tanzania, Mozambique, Japan and Rwanda were awarded graduation certificates for the various courses they took at the college.
The Chairman of the board of governors of the college, Prof Faustine Bee, said that the Board has already directed the management to immediately start the process of implementing the minister’s directive.
Prof Bee continued to say that the establishment of the campus in Iringa Region will support the government to open investment opportunities in the tourism sector in the southern regions and expanding the scope of areas with tourism sites within the zone to the international communities.
“Our board is ready in collaboration with the management to manage the activities of the establishment of this campus so that the government’s desire to open the Southern Regions for the development of the nation and the well-being the people in general is achieved”, he said.
