By Tafadzwa Tseisi
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has extended an US$3m grant to the African Union (AU) in support of its 3-year capacity building program, which aims to build and enhance capacities within its Commission for the implementation of the continent’s development programs.
The development comes at a time when AU Chairman President Robert Mugabe has been meeting various heads of states in a bid to improve relations, a move which could revive the economy that has been in a comatose state for years.
In a press statement, ACBF’s Executive Secretary Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie said, there was need to support the strengthening of institutional capacity within the Commission.
“Through partnerships such as the African Union and ACBF, there is a shared responsibility to achieve results and develop a critical mass of Africans to deal with capacity development issues at national and regional levels,” he said.
Prof. Nnadozie further said: “This signing does not come at a better time than today as the AUC prepares to implement its 3rd Strategic Plan and Agenda 2063 as well as review of the post-2015 Development Agenda. We are happy to pursue our close collaboration with AUC to make the implementation of this project a resounding success and contribute to the capacity development in Africa.”
AU Chairperson Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, expressed appreciation to the long historical partnership and support from ACBF and went on to acknowledge their commitment to the continent and for accepting the responsibility of bringing their capacity into the discussions around implementation of Agenda 2063.
“The Commission relies not only on the grant support, but also on the expertise and capacity that ACBF is able to bring into the discussions, as we look at the initiatives on implementation of Agenda 2063” she stated.
“It is important for Agenda 2063 that we look at division of labor between the RECs and AU so that efforts are not duplicated”, added the Chairperson of the African Union.
The AU’s program, set to be implemented over three years (2015-2017) aims mainly to strengthen institutional capacity to ensure that partnerships and collaboration between the Commission, AU organs such as the NEPAD Policy and Coordinating Agency, Pan African Parliament (PAP) and strategic partners contribute to the successful implementation of the continent’s development programs.
Since the inception of the AU and despite remarkable progress made in advancing Africa’s development agenda, further progress is being hampered by capacity weaknesses and gaps within the Commission.
