Zuma accepts Nigerian degree

2011-12-11 14:09

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has accepted an honorary doctorate in philosophy from the American University of Nigeria in Yola, Adamawa, the presidency says.

He received the award for his contribution to education and human development during a working tour to Nigeria.

In a speech prepared for delivery at the ceremony, Zuma said he regarded the award as an "honour" and perceived it as recognition of South Africa and the country's role in the continent and the world.

He said he received the doctorate as reflective of the cordial relations between the two countries.

Education in Africa was important because quality education was essential to building the human resources required for the continent's development.

"Not a single nation shall prosper without education.

"We should ensure that education is used as a tool for development," Zuma said.

Of the top 100 universities in the world, it was "hard to find a single one from Africa", he said - adding that the measures used to determine this list "may be one-sided and ideologically loaded".

Zuma also called for indigenous languages to be used in academia, as this was prerequisite to "the decolonisation of the African mind".

- SAPA