Harare, 05 Oct 2017 (ACBF) – The African Capacity Building Foundation, the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development, has urged African countries to revive their leadership development institutions and give them the necessary structural and budgetary support for implementing their industrial development objectives. At an international economic forum of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday in Paris, the Executive Secretary of ACBF, Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, said the skilled people, the right institutions, transformative leadership and mindset change were key for driving the industrialization agenda of the countries.
“Having the resources, policies or strategies, conducive environment, are necessary but not sufficient for Africa to industrialize,” he intimated.
“If you don’t have the entrepreneurs, the right institutions – in particular the institutions of accountability – for making sure that these fantastic strategies yield results, there would always be implementation gaps.
“Leadership capacity is also very important but far more important is a change in mindset – for Africans to believe in their own ability to industrialize, leading to ‘an Africa capable of achieving is own development’ which is the vision of the African Capacity Building Foundation.”
He said it was in recognition of the importance of leadership at all levels and sectors, that ACBF’s 2018 flagship report, the Africa Capacity Report, is themed around developing leadership for the continent’s socio--economic transformation. The Foundation would be reflecting more on this topic and define the good practices that various countries have put together in ensuring that policies and strategies are implemented with tangible results, he said.
African countries will also have to build their own capacity development units to enable them coordinate capacity building efforts, he said, adding that where these already exist like in Rwanda, projects have had lasting impacts on effective public service delivery. Equally important is the need for a monitoring and evaluation department inside all projects being implemented by public institutions. Prof. Nnadozie also called for an effective domestic revenue mobilization that will ensure accountability as well as the ownership of development objectives and their results. He laid emphasis on the promotion of what he described as “critical technical skills” required for industrial take-off, on science, technology and innovation (STI) and high-quality education.
Under its Strategic Plan for 2017 to 2021, ACBF aims to strengthen institutions and policies in a coordinated manner in order to better address Africa’s development challenges, taking into account African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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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: [email protected]
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
