By Ibrahim Mayaki

If we want things to move forward and improve, especially for the economic and social development of our people, we sometimes have to recognize our weaknesses. One of the most important today is the weakness of the State in most of our countries. This weakness can quickly turn into fragility, as we have seen with phenomena as different as the Ebola virus, or the progression of Boko Haram, not to mention the management of the consequences of global warming.

The weaker or fragile a state is, the more likely it is to be overwhelmed by events and unable to cope with the large-scale challenges it faces. The question of the resilience of our states is therefore very meaningful and relevant. It is necessary to give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s : the African Development Bank (AfDB) has been a pioneer in the field of fragility of States under the presidency of Donald Kaberuka by creating a Department directly responsible for these issues. Initially the focus was on States in transition, especially post-conflict, but gradually shifted to the concept of more general resilience and taking into account more scenarios that our States face.

In January 2017, the AfDB organized with success its first Forum on Resilience in Africa. It had made it possible to analyze various situations of fragility present on the continent, but also to note a major fact: the continent is progressing, and some extremely fragile states manage to consolidate. Another observation that logically follows the first is that fragility can precisely derive resilience that can therefore lead to the stability of our states. We just have to recognize our weaknesses.

Last year’s recommendations included the need to forge stronger, competency-based partnerships to make interventions more effective; and “to respond in a concerted manner to the needs of people at the bottom of the poverty pyramid by providing early interventions at the community level in situations of fragility, in order to ensure greater inclusion while giving hope to the most vulnerable”.

It is precisely on the theme “Building resilience – reaching those at the bottom of the pyramid” that the second edition of the African Resilience Forum (ARF), is to be held in Abidjan on February 8th and 9th, 2018. The objective of this new meeting is to share knowledge on new approaches to provide development support in fragile environments. It is also about designing a platform to present innovative solutions and new technologies to provide essential services to the communities that need it most.

The “bottom-up” approach is favoured here, in contrast to what is usually practiced, namely large and  highly centralized national programs whose effect is not always felt by the poorest. This approach is based on the needs of the grassroots to try to improve the situation of the most fragile communities by ensuring that they participate in the definition of solutions. To do this I think it is necessary to develop new types of partnerships, to better mobilize the national resources of each of our States towards a development at the community level, knowing that the reality of development is first local.

For my part, I would also like to see in this endeavour, the direct involvement of the private sector with which partnerships are also possible, to achieve these objectives.