LUSAKA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- A senior official from the Australian government has said his government will increase its scholarships to Africa by 2012, the Zambian News and Information Service (ZANIS) reported on Monday.

    First Secretary for Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Jason Court said in Zambia's capital Lusaka that the Australian government will increase its scholarships to Africa from the current 100 to 1, 000 per year.

    The official said at an Australian Development Scholarships Program Alumni workshop in Lusaka on Monday that about 244 Zambians have been trained by his government under the AusAID scholarship program.

    The official said his government is working with the Zambian government in the education sector to help the southern African country realize the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on education, to help African countries to tackle maternal health related issues, to improve water and sanitation as well as assist in the agriculture sector to ensure food security.

    According to the official, 14 Zambians are being trained at various learning institutions in that country to masters' degree level every year.