AfDB President Urges YPS to Be Bold and Innovative

2 March 2012
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African Development Bank (Abidjan)
press release

AfDB president Donald Kaberuka gave a pep talk this week to a group of more than sixty of the Bank's Young Professionals, discussing their role in the institution's overall business and the part they will play in its vision and strategy.

He urged them to have greater confidence and to be bold and innovative, saying "We all make mistakes, but the biggest one is doing nothing."

The session focused on the AfDB's Long Term Strategy (LTS) for 2013 to 2022, which is currently being formulated through extensive discussions with interested parties across sectors inside and outside the Bank.

Other issues raised included inclusive growth, climate change, regional integration and how the Young Professionals (YPs) program could be improved. To that end, Mr Kaberuka encouraged the YPs to work with the Human Resources Management department on ways to make the program better. The discussion also included the Bank's internal processes, project cycles and dialogue with member countries.

Mr Kaberuka stressed that the YP program is very much a leadership process, and one in which "we cannot afford to fail".

Talking about the meeting afterwards, the YPs spokespersons, Yoannes Kassahun Bitsat and Nana Spio-Garbrah said they had the opportunity for long and fruitful discussions about the LTS among themselves. They also expressed satisfaction with the program's objectives and that they were ready to help improve it.

Regarding a question on what Africa's priorities should be over the next decade, the YPs recognised inclusive growth, education, climate change, water management, and regional integration as strategic development drivers.

In his concluding remarks, Mr Kaberuka recalled that the Bank will celebrate 50 years at the forefront of Africa's development in 2014. He said: "We are the African Development Bank and we should first compare our institution to what it was 50 years ago, and where do we go from here."

For their part, the YPs expressed their satisfaction with the meeting. Succès Masra, a YP attached to the Chief Economist's office said: "We have heard messages of hope . "

Read the original article on African Development Bank (AfDB).

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