The African Union (AU) has commended the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) for its contribution to Africa’s development process through human capital development.
The AU said in a statement issued late Monday that the ACBF, the AU’s specialized agency for capacity development, has contributed to Africa’s growth through institution building, knowledge sharing, and human capital development.
Marking the foundation’s 32 years of establishment in 1991 to address Africa’s severe capacity gaps, the AU said the ACBF has gained a robust track record which solidifies its position as the premier partner for capacity development on the continent.
It said the specialized agency, focusing on human capital development and institution building to address current and future development challenges, has so far trained more than 50,000 personnel in civil service, most of whom hold key positions in ministries of finance, planning and economic development as well as central banks across the continent.
According to the AU, the ACBF has supported more than 70 higher education institutions, including universities, across all sub-Saharan Africa regions, to reform curricula that address the economic requirements of their countries and equipped universities with libraries that enabled students to carry out research online.
The foundation has over the years grown its membership from 12 African countries to 40. It has also established a network of over 35 think-thanks that support evidence-based policy-making across Africa and produce critical policy research and analysis, which inform economic management and help establish benchmarks for success, the AU said.
The AU said the ACBF, as a thought leader in Africa, has generated over 500 knowledge products in the forms of research, studies, and publications covering over 200 development topics.
In line with its new five-year strategy from 2023 to 2027, the AU said the foundation will focus on human capacity development and institution building in four impact areas, namely, climate change and energy, economic governance, agribusiness and food security, and trade as engines of growth.
The AU said the agency, as part of its new strategy, will offer two signature products that support institutional building and human capacity development in Africa. Enditem
