Senegal Awards $1.5 Mililion to the Africa-America Institute Education Partnership Campaign

12 August 2004
Africa-America Institute (New York)
press release

50,000 New Leaders in 5 Years

His Excellency Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, today announced the awarding of a $1.5 million grant for the Africa America Institute's program to expand advanced education and professional training opportunities to Africans in strategic fields.

"The Government of Senegal recognizes the extraordinary work and longstanding commitment of the Africa-America Institute in the realm of building human capacity in Africa," said President Wade. "The AAI Education Partnership Campaign, which highlights information and communications technologies as vehicles for expanding access to advanced education, is the kind of critical initiative envisioned by NEPAD and the UN Millennium Development Goals. By supporting AAI in this work of continuing its legacy, we Africans are helping ourselves."

In commemoration of its 50th Anniversary, the Africa-America Institute (AAI) launched the AAI Education Partnership Campaign: 50,000 New Leaders in 5 Years. Using modern information communication technologies, AAI will work aggressively to reach more people in the next five years than we reached during our first 50 years. With the endorsement and active support of African Heads of State - among them President Wade, President Nujoma of Namibia and President Museveni of Uganda - and of American and African business, academic, and donor institution leaders, the AAI Education Partnership Campaign: 50,000 New Leaders in 5 Years will raise $25 million in private and public sector support to provide advanced education and professional training opportunities for 50,000 or more Africans over its five-year length - thus yielding powerful benefits to individuals, businesses, governments and entire countries on the continent.

"This is the most ambitious effort we have ever undertaken to enlarge a pool of people in Africa with the skills and education to lead," said AAI's President and Chief Executive Officer, Mora McLean.

Pierre Atépa Goudiaby, the world-renowned Senegalese architect who is also an AAI education program alumnus, is the campaign’s Special Ambassador, leading the effort to recruit support from Africa. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan is the honorary Education Partnership Campaign Chair.

"The grant from Senegal reflects the characteristic vision of its government and its people," said AAI Board Chair, Kofi Appenteng. "It will help to and expand the availability of state-of-the-art educational resources essential to groom Africa's next generation of leaders and prepare them for a competitive future."

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