" [1]13 February 2012- Midrand, South Africa. Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki of NEPAD Agency participated at the 38th African Regional Labour Administration Centre(ARLAC) Governing Council Meeting for Ministers and High Level Forum on Accelerating Social Security Services on 6-10 February 2012 – Victoria Falls Town, Zimbabwe.
The meeting was attended by high level delegates, e.g, Ministers and designated representatives from ARLAC Members Countries of Botswana. Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya,, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra-Leone, South Africa, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and; Eritrea, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania and Gambia as observers.
As a panel member, Dr. Mayaki gave a presentation on the Social Protection for Rural Development in NEPAD. “One of the main objectives assigned to NEPAD as the implementing and coordinating agency of the African Union is to contribute to lifting 400 million African people out of poverty, while finding employment for the additional 215 million young men and women expected to join the labour market over the next decade. Among the African population, 70% still continue to rely on the rural sector for their livelihoods” said Mayaki during the presentation.
During this mission in Zimbabwe, a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed on the 9th February 2012 between NEPAD and ARLAC to establish a framework for cooperation on the development of a link with the NEPAD process and finding a place for employment and labour policies with the NEPAD dispensation.
