Harare, 7 July 2017 (ACBF) – Plans are panning out for a tightly knit collaboration between the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordination Agency (NEPAD Agency) in accompanying the African Union and continental institutions to boost development major areas such as infrastructure, natural resource management and food security and agriculture.
During a strategic and technical session between teams of the two institutions following the 29th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, it was agreed that these sectors, on which the NEPAD Agency currently lays empahasis, should constitute key areas of collaboration with the ACBF strongly contributing in the indispensable components of capacity development.
The working session was held in the context of ongoing efforts to streamline the structures and functioning of both the African Union as a body and its institutions – a task that African leaders entrusted to President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and a pan-African advisory team.
“Giving the ongoing developments to reform the African Union and the functioning of its main bodies, it has become incumbent on our two institutions to join forces to accompany Africa in achieving this crucial Agenda,” said Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki – CEO of the NEPAD Agency.
“The centrality of developing capacity for African institutions and the people manning these institutions is now both evident to everyone and crucial for the continent to achieve its plans for transformation,” opined the Executive Secretary of ACBF – Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie – who concurred with his NEPAD Agency counterpart to convene an enlarged session between the two institutions in the days ahead. The session will be held at the headquarters if the NEPAD Agency in Midrand, South Africaand will enable both institutions to draw a road map for the intended collaboration.
The principals of ACBF and the NEPAD Agency agreed that it was necessary to join forces to develop capacity, which Africa urgently needs, to deliver on its transformation agenda, laid down in several continental plans notably Agenda 2063.
“We must work hand in glove to develop strategies for resource mobilization to streamline institutional and human capacity for sustainable development in Africa and there is no better time than now to hitch our horses to achieve this goal,” added ACBF’s Prof. Nnadozie.
ACBF and the NEPAD Agency say they are resolute to collaborate to help build synergies between the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and specialized techical committees serving the African Union to achieve continental plans.
Collaboration between both institutions has gone on for more than a decade. During this time, the Foundation has helped to:
- improve the delivery of the NEPAD Agency by strengthening its human capacity in core strategic management functions;
- enahnce its organizational effectiveness through reviews of its structure, functions, systems and procedures, including support to the regional economic communities; and,
- attract qualified personnel for key administrative and management functions by contributing to the establishment of conditions conducive for retention of qualified professionals to ensure that the organization delivers results.
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For more information, please contact:
Abel Akara Ticha – Senior Communication Officer
The African Capacity Building Foundation
Harare, Zimbabwe
Addis Ababa mobile during the AU meetings: +251 944075465
+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
