Dar es Salaam, 18 July 2017 (ACBF) – In its desire to mobilize technical and financial resources required for the realization of Africa’s socio-economic transformation, the African Capacity Building Foundation, the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Alliance for Partnership of the U.S.-based Michigan State University.
The Alliance, also known as AAP, seeks to promote sustainable, effective, and equitable long-term partnerships among African organizations with the aim of addressing mutually defined challenges across a range of thematic issues. The goal is to build networks among African partners from all sectors – including universities, NGOs, governments and the private sector – and Michigan State University in order to address their capacity challenges.
It will also support multidisciplinary partnerships for research, education and outreach activities that connect theory to practice. Under the agreement signed at a ceremony in Dar es Salaam, today, ACBF will bring to the table nearly three decades of experience in tackling Africa’s capacity development challenges while the Alliance will present its comparative advantage in strengthening African agricultural research institutes and supporting African universities in conducting relevant research studies.
ACBF’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, said the MOU “provides for cooperation and collaboration in home-grown research and capacity building activities of mutual interest as defined in the new ACBF Strategic Plan 2017 to 2021.” He said priority areas include:
- Building institutional research and policy engagemet capacity in African partner organizations ;
- Preparation of external funding proposals for African organizations ;
- Provision of technical assistance in capacity development ; and
- Joint research and other various dimensions of capacity necessary to enhance research in Africa.
The signing was followed by a high level policy and development discussion whose theme was “Putting vision into action together.” Michigan State University faculty representatives and African development leaders as well as policy makers brainstormed on innovative approaches to partnership that will bring transformative change to Africa from local to global levels.
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For more information, please contact:
Abel Akara Ticha – Senior Communication Officer
The African Capacity Building Foundation
Harare, Zimbabwe
+263 7+263-4 304663, 304622, 332002, 332014; Ext. 279
Email: A.Ticha@acbf-pact.org
About the African Capacity Building Foundation
Established in 1991, ACBF builds human and institutional capacity for good governance and economic development in Africa. To date the Foundation has empowered people in governments, parliaments, civil society, private sector and higher education institutions in more than 45 countries and 6 regional economic communities. ACBF supports capacity development across Africa through mobilization and leveraging of resources for capacity development; grants, investments and fund management; knowledge services; promoting innovation in capacity development and capacity development advisory services. The establishment of ACBF was in response to the severity of Africa’s capacity needs, and the challenges of investing in indigenous human capital and institutions in Africa. ACBF interventions are premised on four principles: the centrality of capacity to the development process in Africa; the critical role of a partnership and demand-driven approach in tackling capacity challenges; African ownership and leadership in the capacity development process; and a systematic, sequenced and coordinated approach to the capacity development process that pays attention to capacity retention and utilization. For further information go to: www.acbf-pact.org
