Date: 15/07/2010
Location: Dakar, Senegal
The African Development Bank (AfDB) organized on Thursday, July 15, 2010 in Dakar, a meeting for the dissemination of the institution's capacity-building strategy.
The meeting was opened by the AfDB Regional Resident Representative in Senegal, Mohamed H'Midouche, who described the meeting as a unique opportunity to analyze capacity issues from the operations angle, and to help countries put capacity building at the centre of their development strategies.
For her part, the Chief of Staff of Senegal's Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ndiaye Mboup Nene Dieng, recalled that "the Pan-African Forum on Capacity Building in Bamako in 2001 challenged African countries and Development partners to work towards capacity building to accelerate the continent's development process.
She also cited the first African Union summit held in July 2002 in Durban, South Africa, which also declared 2002-2011 the "Decade of capacity building in Africa," noting that capacity building was essential for Africa's economic development.
For many years, development agencies placed special emphasis on providing financial and technical assistance to African countries. There was a time when such assistance was very useful, Ms Dieng said noting: "It is clear that the continent needs not only skills, but also the three dimensions of capacity building which include human, organizational and institutional structures for economic growth and sustainable development."
"That is why the AfDB has developed a strategy for a global approach, embracing both common and specific challenges calling on African countries," said Ms Dieng.
The African Development Institute (ADI) Head, Sibry Tapsoba, presented the key elements of the new strategy "which will be the subject of many discussions". He said that preparation of the strategy required a long process of research, consultations, and writing to produce a new model for capacity building in Africa.
The Dakar meeting is gathering inputs from stakeholders on the priorities facing the growing demand for capacity building in all African countries. It is also considering the role of the institutional strengthening of national and regional capacities.
Some 90 participants are attending the meeting. These include senior officials from finance and planning and capacity building ministries in 20 African countries.
High level representatives from development partners, national and regional institutions, regional economic communities, and experts in the field of capacity building are also present
The Dakar meeting is focusing on initiating and developing corrective measures in order to guarantee the achievement of the required results for capacity building in Africa.
Contacts
Felix Njoku
