Improved skills a pre-requisite for Africa’s sustainable development and integration - NEPAD

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December 4, 2012, Saly, Senegal – The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency has reaffirmed its commitment to support African countries develop and utilise capacities for effective development planning.

Speaking at the opening of a high-level meeting on Capacity Development in the Senegalese town of Saly, Florence Nazare, Head of NEPAD’s Capacity Development Programme said “Much of Africa’s inability to successfully design and implement sustainable development programmes stems from under-utilised  skills and knowledge. It is therefore important to develop capacities, but more important to tap into existing resources to fully bring out the Continent’s potential. The NEPAD Agency is committed to working together with the African Union Commission, African Governments, regional economic communities and development partners to support the process of developing improved capacity in Africa.”

Top on the agenda of the three-day meeting which ends on December 5, is the review of the forthcoming publication titled ‘2013 Africa Capacity Development Outlook’ (Africa CDO), which is designed to benchmark good practices of capacity development in Africa.

It refers to the effective use of institutional, human and financial resources for effective development planning and implementation to foster results.

“Capacity development is a premium tool for the Continent’s development and transformation. We cannot achieve sustainable development and integration without tapping into and building on Africa’s own resources and skills,” said Victoria Egbetayo, AUC Policy Officer.

In his keynote speech, Mayacine Camara, Coordinator of the Ministry in Economic Planning of the Government of Senegal and host of the meeting, congratulated the AUC and NEPAD for spearheading the publication which is based on the AU-NEPAD Capacity Development Strategic Framework (CDSF); a Continent-wide initiative to articulate and define Africa’s capacity needs and solutions for improved policy design and implementation.

“Capacity Development has the power to change Africa, especially West Africa. It can transform African leadership, empower citizen and utilise African potentials, skills and resources for development effectiveness,“ Mr Camara said.

The Publication measures the progress made by African countries and regional communities in building their own capacities and achieving their own development objectives. It evaluates some of the challenges and opportunities faced by the Continent and looks forward positively to 2013 and beyond.

“It is an African publication that promotes African solutions to African problems,” Ms Eliane Venter, Capacity Development Practice Leader at UNDP, highlighted.

Africa CDO will be launched in Addis Ababa at the AU Summit in July 2013 and will serve as an annual reference point to strengthen capacity development on the Continent. It will bring consultation, coordination and a common voice to Africa's development perspectives, strategies and policies.

For more information:

Abiola Ajayi

Phone: 77 134 3607

E-mail: Abiola@nepad.org