Strategic Pillar 2 Objective - Fostering a Creative e-Ready Generation Malawi’s medium term strategic framework, MGDS II, recognizes that human capital development is critically important to all aspects of national development. The Framework acknowledges that innovation and production are inextricably linked and that innovation and talent have become valued assets in the local and global knowledge economy. However, despite a literacy rate of 64 percent and enrolments rates at the Primary and Secondary education levels of 91 percent and 8.8 percent respectively, enrolment at the tertiary level falls drastically and is amongst the lowest in the world at 0.3 percent according to NSO figures 2012. This places Malawi at 129/142 countries in the tertiary education enrolment index in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012. Under this strategic objective, initiatives to ensure that innovation and human capital development needs are strategically addressed in the period 2014-2031 will be implemented. Innovation Innovation is the ability to solve challenges using novel solutions. In order to create the knowledge based economy, an innovative class is needed to drive national development. Fostering innovation is integral to diversifying the economy. The nation, however, is ranked as one of the most poorly performing countries globally with respect to innovation. The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011 placed Malawi amongst the lowest countries in the world in innovation at 137/139. Although an improvement was gained in 2011-2012 with a rank of 120/142, this still places the country lowest among countries of similar size and economy. Malawi needs to quickly improve and catch up with the rest of the world in innovation. The National ICT Plan proposes a bold set of initiatives to aggressively 51