ACBF

A Specialized Agency of the African Union

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Who We Are

ACBF Staff

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), is the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development.

Having spearheaded and robustly coordinated capacity development programs worth some 800 million US dollars across 48 countries and 8 regional economic communities (RECs) in Africa since 1991, ACBF has gathered the requisite experience that makes it the go-to institution for expert knowledge and human resources to facilitate the timely implementation of continental and national development agendas. As the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development following over 31 years of solid work, the Foundation is best placed to advise and support African countries, regional economic communities and institutions on decisive steps to take to develop the practical skills urgently required for the continent’s economic transformation.

Evidence from our cutting-edge work (constituting hundreds of knowledge publications) and the work of several partners show that Africa's development efforts are being hobbled by severe capacity deficits often in the form of shortage of critical skills, deficits in leadership, inhibiting mindsets and weak institutions. The continent’s practical skills shortage is acute in key areas such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Agriculture.

Africa needs improved governance to succeed with its ambition for transformation, but it can only do this by covering the huge skills deficit the continent has in areas such as engineering (4.3 million more engineers are needed to tackle Africa’s infrastructure problems) and in raising its agricultural productivity to required levels (the continent needs 1.6 million more agricultural researchers and scientists). These are only a few of the dire needs shown in recent ACBF reports.  

Africa’s development needs therefore warrant donors, governments, civil society, the private sector and academia to invest in and support ACBF’s work not only based on its unrivalled experience in Africa in the world-class management of financial resources for large capacity development programs but also on its expertise on finding the evidence, providing knowledge resources and indispensable technical advisory services to African countries and institutions.

At ACBF, we will continue using our unmatched track record in managing financial facilities for development, our vast knowledge gathering experience thanks to the exceptional skills mix of our core staff as well as our strong strategic partnerships and networks to help countries and institutions identify their capacity needs, advise them on how to plug these capacity weaknesses and on where to find the knowledge and resources to develop the requisite capacity resources, effectively use them and retain them to achieve their short and long-term development objectives.

Our vision is an Africa capable of achieving its own development. From 2017-2022, we are relentlessly working toward this by enabling the effective delivery of Africa’s continental development priorities such as Agenda 2063, providing country-to-country support, spurring the private sector and civil society to effectively contribute to development and producing evidence-based knowledge for capacity development.

Thomas Kwesi Quartey

ACBF has been granted the status of a specialized agency because of the potential to transform Africa through capacity development.


H.E. Thomas Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson, AU Commission
Erastus Mwencha

The recognition of ACBF as the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development launches the beginning of a new era for capacity building by ACBF, which will require an appropriate level of political commitment and financial support from all stakeholders.


H.E. Erastus Mwencha, Chair, ACBF Executive Board
Lamin Momodou

The remarkable achievements ACBF has registered over the past 26 years is not by accident in our opinion. They have come through hard work, dedication, commitment, purposeful leadership, support from the member countries as well as productive partnership building.


Mr. Lamin Momodou MANNEH, Director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa
Goodall Gondwe

Africa needs ACBF as much, probably more now, than at the time it was created in 1991.


Hon. Goodall Gondwe, former Chair of the ACBF Board of Governors and Minister of Finance – Malawi
Ken Ofori Atta

Ghana’s partnership with ACBF is a tremendous blessing for us and therefore the opportunity for Ghana to host the 26th ACBF Board of Governors Meeting is something that we treasure.


Hon Ken Ofori Atta, Chair of the ACBF Board of Governors and Minister of Finance - Ghana
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