Harare, 24 May 2017 (ACBF) – The Government of the Gambia will, in the months ahead, benefit from a needs assessment exercise to be conducted by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) to boost the country’s new strategic development agenda which focuses on good governance and the respect for human rights as pre-requisite for poverty reduction and sustainable growth.
Plans for the needs assessment study have been wrapped-up following a recent ACBF mission to the West African country at the invitation of its Government.
The mission, which will soon be followed up by a country visit by the Foundation’s Executive Secretary in June 2017, met with Government, private sector and civil society organizations leaders at the highest level. Among the dignitaries met were the Hon Vice President of the Gambia – Her Excellency Fatoumata Tambajang, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs – Hon. Amadou Sanneh, and the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology – Hon Dr. Badara Joof.
The mission also met with key development partners including the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, as well as the United States Ambassador. The mission also met with the Chief Justice, the Clerk to the National Assembly, the Director General of the Management Development Institute, the President of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Executive Director of the Women’s Bureau. Discussions were also held with existing ACBF civil society organizations, RAID the Gambia, and TANGO.
Dr Roger Atindehou – ACBF’s Director of Operations, and Mr Dickson Antwi – the Foundation’s Senior Program Officer responsible for ACBF Gambia operations, conducted the recent mission. They were actively assisted by a national consultant, Dr. Ahmed Tijan Diallo, who will lead a consultancy team to undertake the needs assessment and capacity development plan exercise.
Gambian authorities say they are placing very high hopes on the outcome of the planned visit by ACBF’s Executive next month to pave the way for the country’s Capacity Needs Assessment as well as its Capacity Development Plan.
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For more information, please contact:
Abel Akara Ticha – Senior Communication Officer
The African Capacity Building Foundation
Harare, Zimbabwe
+263 7+263-4 304663, 304622, 332002, 332014; Ext. 279
Email: A.Ticha@acbf-pact.org
About the African Capacity Building Foundation
Established in 1991, ACBF builds human and institutional capacity for good governance and economic development in Africa. To date the Foundation has empowered people in governments, parliaments, civil society, private sector and higher education institutions in more than 45 countries and 6 regional economic communities. ACBF supports capacity development across Africa through mobilization and leveraging of resources for capacity development; grants, investments and fund management; knowledge services; promoting innovation in capacity development and capacity development advisory services. The establishment of ACBF was in response to the severity of Africa’s capacity needs, and the challenges of investing in indigenous human capital and institutions in Africa. ACBF interventions are premised on four principles: the centrality of capacity to the development process in Africa; the critical role of a partnership and demand-driven approach in tackling capacity challenges; African ownership and leadership in the capacity development process; and a systematic, sequenced and coordinated approach to the capacity development process that pays attention to capacity retention and utilization. For further information go to: www.acbf-pact.org
