NICO Group sponsors K1.98m for Public Universities Staff Sports Association symposium
The country’s giant financial service provider, NICO Group has sponsored K1.98 million for the reconstituted Public Universities Staff Sports Association (PUSSAM) to hold capacity building symposium amongst its executive committee members.
PUSSAM was originally the University of Malawi Staff Sports Association (UMSSA) and following the delinking of its constituent colleges into the University of Malawi (UNIMA); Kamuzu College of Health Science (KUHES); Malawi University of Business & Applied Sciences (MUBAS); Malawi University of Science & Technology (MUST); Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) and Mzuzu University — it was reconstituted to PUSSAM.
Its vice-president, Dr. Bhekuzulu Khumalo said the symposium, held on Thursday and Friday, April 28-29, said after the delinking of UNIMA, they thought it wise to form one association that could incorporate all public universities “as one of promoting interaction amongst the members and improving health and welfare”.
“Towards the end of 2021, PUSSAM launched its 5-year strategic plan (2022-2023, which has several objectives in order to bridge gaps that PUSSAM recognizes,” said Khumalo, who is from MUST.
“One of the strategic objectives is about strengthening governance where there is capacity building of leaders in sports management in recognition that most of sports leaders have limited training in management of sports in the association.”
The two-day workshop was scheduled for Mulanje while on May 27-28, PUSSAM is expected to organise its annual and 2nd Inter-varsity Games to be hosted by LUANAR.
In his vote of thanks, Khumalo invited NICO Pensions management to attend the symposium, saying “retirement planning is a very critical issues that affects many who are working and we believe that this will help the participants to gain an understanding on their retirement planning”.
He also took cognizance that NICO Group has been very supportive to the grouping as UMSSA dating back as 1999 when they started participating in Southern Africa Universities Staff Sports Association.
In her remarks, NICO Pension Head of Operations, Mwawi Nkhonjera said as a leading financial institution in Malawi, NICO Group believes in empowering its existing and potential clients to make sound financial decision.
She added that through the sponsorship, it cements the partnership between NICO Group and Malawi public universities, saying its subsidiaries “are and have been involved with tertiary institutions for years”.
“We value the relationship we have with these institutions be it through students, the administration or tutors,” she said, while encouraging PUSSAM to make good use of the lessons at the training “to effectively run sporting and recreational activities for the members”.
“We value the goals and objectives of PUSSAM towards sporting activities and we believe our relationship will be strengthened through this and other future initiatives to come,” she said.
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