African public servants to benefit from launch of African Union Leadership Academy

Addis Ababa, 1 February – Successive generations of public servants are set to benefit from high-level training following the launch of the African Union Leadership Academy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday.

Speaking at the launch on the side-lines of the 26th African Union Summit, African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that the pan-African learning and development centre is aimed at driving capacity building toward the implementation of Agenda 2063.

The Academy’s target audience includes AU staff, AU elected officials, Permanent Representative Council Members and staff of embassies accredited to the AU, young African citizens wishing to pursue careers in the AU and its institutions, and civil servants in African Member States and Regional Economic Communities.

The proposed training programmes include: the leadership programme; programme and project management; policy programme dialogue; and history of the AU and integration.

Moderating a discussion among UN Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary Dr. Carlos Lopes, AUC Deputy Chairperson Mr. Erastus Mwencha and the Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, NEPAD CEO Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki raised several pertinent questions related to the specific capacity development needs across the continent.

Dr. Lopes outlined that capacity development needed to be viewed systemically – individual, institutional and societal – noting that the three were interconnected. He further called for a re-think of current approaches to capacity development and encouraged delegates to consider focusing more attention on youth training and empowerment.

Prof. Nnadozie said that it was as important that African citizens realise their own potential and continue to build self confidence in their own abilities. He added that while there has been progress in developing capacity in Africa, challenges remain. He raised concern over the significant gap in skills noting that the continent needed 4.3 million engineers and around 8 million doctors and health experts. “We need an education dialogue which focuses on heavy investment in the youth and science and technology,” he said.

In his intervention H.E. Mwencha said that given its location, the Academy would provide training for far more students. He noted that the Academy was an innovative move that indicated that the African Union was attentive to the requirements of Member States. 

In conclusion, Dr. Mayaki underscored that it was important to note that development was not simply an accumulation of capital but an accumulation of knowledge as well.