Today, on behalf of the NEPAD Agency, I have had the privilege to address a speech to the 34th NEPAD HSGOC in Addis Abeba. I have presented some of the major results the Agency has delivered in 2015 across national, regional and continental levels.
Within our priorities and in line with our long term vision, Agenda 2063, the Agency operated over 20 projects and has executed 9.05 M USD as of September 2015.
NEPAD was founded on the idea that only a unique Agency with a global and holistic approach could organize and lead the way for Africa’s development. 2015 brought us closer to that goal of coordinating and catalysing our energies towards that goal.
At the continental level, I would like to emphasize that despite the low cycle that is now engulfing commodities, natural resources remain a major source of revenue for African states and contribute substantially to job creation.
That is why getting better value from extractive industries has long been a key goal for African governments. In accordance with the 25th AU decisions, the NEPAD agency undertook capacity development exercise in Tax Policies and Contract Negotiation in the extractive industries. A first regional dialogue and training was held in Dakar in September 2015. In this domain like in so many others, we identified the absolute necessity to work closely between member states.
Also, from a regional point of view, undoubtedly, infrastructure remains Africa’s top challenge and priority.
With low levels of intra-regional trade and the smallest share of global trade, Africa remains the least integrated continent on earth. We continue to build upon the achievements of the first ever Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa and what we achieved in Dakar on the occasion of the Financing Summit that took place in June 2014.
We could then prioritize the transformative “16 mega PIDA projects”. Thus far, the NEPAD Agency has actively developed facility instruments that are directed at making those infrastructure projects bankable.
From coast to coast, we are beginning to break ground on the first of those projects. I would like to single out five of these initiatives that will be completed in a matter of years: the Abidjan-Lagos corridor; the Dakar-Bamako rail link; two hydroelectric dams, Sambangalou in Guinea and Ruzizi III in Rwanda; and the road from Serenje to Nakonde in Zambia.
Similarly, in June 2015, the NEPAD launched the Continental Business Network (CBN), an initiative we are particularly proud of. We need to improve the dialogue between the public and private sectors and this high level platform does just that by bringing together top global and African CEOs and institutional leaders.
The other field of choice for our Agency’s action has been Agricultural transformation and food security. They remain of crucial importance for the continent and require collective and regional actions.
At the country level the Agency continued to support members state in various areas such as the blue economy, climate change and human development.
The NEPAD also played an extensive role in defending better agricultural practices, notably through the NEPAD Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) program.
Our action is also targeted at science, technology and innovation: we successfully undertook Capacity development for AU Member States by collecting, managing and analysing African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators. Countries that have so far benefitted from the training include Côte d’Ivoire, Namibia, Niger, DRC, Togo, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Cape Verde and Sudan…
Finally, with regard to education, students from the Republic of Congo commenced specialised training in child and maternal nursing. The training is offered as part of the package provided by the NEPAD Agency’s project on Nursing and Midwifery Education in Africa.
Our collective action through the NEPAD Agency is only the first chapter in a story that we shall write together. Together we will realise our dream of an African continent whose countries are open both to each other and to the world. This is the only way ahead to face an uncertain future.
The post NEPAD: Our collective action is only the first chapter of the story. appeared first on Ibrahim Mayaki.