ACBF grants US$ 11.7 million in support of five capacity building initiatives in Africa

Delegates of the various institutions, members of the diplomatic corps and invited guests at the grant signing ceremony at Meikles Hotel, Harare, Zimbabwe, August 28, 2007

On August 28, 2007, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) signed five grant agreements to the tune of US$ 11.7 million in Harare, Zimbabwe. In line with the Foundation’s core competency areas, the grants will go towards the support of a private sector initiative in Rwanda, the Rwanda Private Sector Capacity Building Project; a regional policy think tank, the Africa Research and Resource Forum (ARRF), based in Nairobi, Kenya; and the three universities – University of Ghana-Legon in Ghana, the University of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo , and the University of Yaounde II in Cameroon – for the implementation of the Economic Policy Management Programs (EPM). Delegates and representatives of the various institutions as well as members of the diplomatic corps based in Zimbabwe attended the signing ceremony, held at the Meikles Hotel.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Soumana Sako, ACBF Executive Secretary, highlighted the importance of building the capacity of the private sector, policy research centers and universities in Africa, in the efforts to assist the development process on the continent. Delegates and representatives of the signing institutions, on their part, thanked ACBF for its continuous support to capacity building initiatives and commended the Foundation’s work across Africa.

Speaking of the Rwanda Private Sector Capacity Building Project (Rwanda PS), he noted that African governments have started to realize the centrality of the private sector as an engine of growth, and as such, should play an active role in the design and implementation of economic policies. He remarked that Rwanda, a land-locked country, is currently investing in the development of its private sector, particularly the services sector, as part of its post-conflict economic recovery programme. Representing the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (RPSF), Mr. Faustin Mbundu, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, in response, thanked the Foundation for the support and indicated that the signing of the grant agreement represented an important milestone for the Rwandan private sector. He indicated that the grant would serve to build and strengthen the human and institutional capacities, contribute to the development of the services sectors, and thus contribute to efforts to realize the 2020 Vision goals in terms of overall poverty reduction and economic development of the country. He expressed RPSF’s commitment to implement the objectives of the project, and to make the project a best-practice case in Africa.

The US$1.7 million grant for the Rwanda PS seeks to improve the private sector competitiveness in and access to local and international markets; enhance the public-private interface for effective engagement of the private sector in Rwanda; strengthen national business development centers (BDCs) to improve their performance as effective one-stop business centers for the private sector; and, enhance the human and institutional capacity of the Rwanda Private sector Federation (RPSF).

Dr. Soumana Sako (right), Executive Secretary of ACBF, exchanging instruments of the grant agreement with Mr. Faustin Mbundu (left), Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rwanda Private Sector Federation (RPSF), Rwanda

With respect to the ACBF grant to the Africa Research and Resource Forum (ARRF), Dr. Sako underscored the need to support the regional policy think tank, as an increasing number of African governments are relying on evidence-based policy-making and policies that reflect the development priorities of their countries. He pointed out that the grant to the regional policy think tank was the first of its kind in the Foundation’s portfolio, whose support was hereto limited to the national policy research centers. He further added the crucial role that ARRF would play in the integration efforts underway in the region. In his appreciation remarks on behalf of ARRF, Prof. Michael Chege, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ARRF, provided the rationale for the setup of the regional institution, which focuses primarily in bridging the gap between national and regional policy-making and serving as interface for the discussion of regional economic issues. In sum, the ARRF would contribute to the establishment and strengthening of competitive, reliable and effective institutions in the Eastern Africa.

ACBF approved a grant of US$ 2.5 million to the ARRF, which will help promote greater economic integration within the East African Community; improve policy makers’ capacity to make informed decisions on policy analysis from a regional perspective; and enhance research capacity of mid-level professionals in the region on issues covered by ARRF.

Dr. Soumana Sako (right), Executive Secretary of ACBF, exchanging instruments of the grant agreement with Prof. Michael Chege (left), Chairman of the Board of Directors, African Research and Resource Forum (ARRF), Kenya

Regarding ACBF’s support to the Economic Policy Management (EPM) program in the three universities, Dr. Sako highlighted that as an aspect of the Foundation’s capacity building interventions is to train African economists in economic policy management. He indicated that the trained economists would then assist African governments in the design, management and implementation of sound economic policies. Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana at Legon, Ghana, noted the success of the previous two phases of the program, for which a third-phase grant agreement was being signed, particularly in terms of rejuvenating its human resource base with the training and retention of young lecturers. He further added the University’s commitment to high-quality service delivery and to becoming a center of excellence resulted in attracting a greater number of students enrolling for the EPM program from the region and other EPM regions.

Dr. Soumana Sako (left), Executive Secretary of ACBF, exchanging instruments of the grant agreement with Prof. Kwesi Yankah (right), Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana at Legon, Ghana.

Representing the EPM_Yaounde, Cameroon, Prof. Georges Kobou, Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Yaounde II, expressed his thanks to the support provided by ACBF and highlighted the program’s achievements over the last 8 years, notably the training of 276 Africans coming from the Central African Region, the Great Lakes Region and the Indian Ocean. The signing of the third phase bears testimony of the success of the EPM program, as a result of the high level of commitment of the faculty to the implementation of the program.

Dr. Soumana Sako (right), Executive Secretary of ACBF, exchanging instruments of the grant agreement with Prof. Georges Kobou (left), Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Yaounde II, Cameroon.

In his remarks, Prof. Lututala Mumpasi, Chancellor of the University of Kinshasa, DRC, representing the Vice-Minister of Planning of DRC, Mr. Ferdinand Essambo Lukye, underscored the importance that the Government of DRC attached to the signing ceremony by sending a high-level delegation to ACBF. He indicated that the major problem of the country was lack of trained managers at the top level, who would be in a position to catalyze the transformation of the country and lead it towards the development path. He added that since DRC had recently launched its PRSP, whose first pillar is the promotion of good governance, the country was in great need of adequate human resources to implement it. In concluding, he reiterated his thanks to the support provided by ACBF and expressed the commitment of his institution to the achievement of the objectives of the project.

Dr. Soumana Sako (right), Executive Secretary of ACBF, exchanging instruments of the grant agreement with Prof. Lututala Mumpasi (left), Chancellor of the University of Kinshasa, DRC.

A total grant of US$ 7.5 million was provided by the Foundation to the EPM Program for the three universities. The third phase funding for both the University of Ghana at Legon (Ghana) and the University of Yaounde II (Cameroon), which are two of the four universities hosting the EPM program in Africa, would go towards the continued support of the EPM training at these universities, while the program is just being launched at the University of Kinshasa, DRC. The EPM program aims at enhancing economic policy analysis and management capacity for increased efficiency of the public sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The ultimate goal of the program is to create a critical mass of African policy analysts and implementers at the national, regional and continental levels, in an effort to enhance program delivery, sustainability and efficiency in the sub-Saharan Africa public sector.