Prime Minister, Dr. Derek Sikua, has said that his new government would like to see a national educational institution to be established in the Malaita Province.

During his one day visit to the Malaita Province yesterday, Prime Minister Sikua made an address to the Malaita Provincial Assembly members and heads of the government departments in Auki.

Dr. Sikua said that setting up of a national educational institution would be one of the new government's national interests.

He said that the idea is to set up either a college or a university in Malaita, as it has a third of the countries half a million population.

Prime Minister Sikua also told the people of Malaita that by doing that, it would foster better understanding of the province, its people and cultures by students from other provinces who would study there.

The Prime Minister said that lecturers and other employees would also have a better insight of the province, "a major contributor towards the country's economic development and the labor-force".

Dr. Sikua told the Malaita Provincial Premier, Mr. Richard Irosaea, and his assembly members and officials that as an educationist, he would push the idea to the government and the Malaita Provincial Assembly during the tenure of his new government.