COTONOU, Benin
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)’s Board of Governors met in Cotonou on Wednesday to review the institution’s performance, financial position and expanding program portfolio as demand for its services grows.
The meeting brought together representatives of member states, including ministers responsible for finance, the economy, development and planning. Among the high-level participants was Aristide Medenou, Benin’s minister of economy and finance in charge of cooperation.
Mohamed Beavogui, chair of ACBF’s Executive Board, said the foundation’s annual report showed “tangible results” from interventions aimed at strengthening capacity and supporting sustainable growth across Africa.
He pointed to ACBF’s Climate Change and Energy for Productive Use work, saying its interventions helped create scope for finance pipelines and national systems to plan and track green recovery programs.
“Our support around Trade as an Engine for Growth, has moved enterprises from awareness towards market participation,” Beavogui said.
He said ACBF was also witnessing improved leadership capability and reform execution, while its interventions were supporting continental dialogue and policy alignment on digital taxation.
Beavogui said the foundation was strengthening its role as a link between evidence, policymakers and partners.
“What is more exciting is the emerging story of an ACBF that is strengthening its position as a continental knowledge broker connecting evidence, policymakers and partners around shared African priorities,” he said.
“We are now witnessing renewed member states commitment, deeper engagement with prospective partners, increased demand for ACBF services and greater opportunities for strategic partnerships,” he said.
Governors were also due to receive an update on ACBF’s growing portfolio of programs and efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness in program delivery through the stewardship of resources entrusted to the foundation.
Beavogui said the Executive Board had been reflecting on how it could better support the Secretariat’s work, adding that those discussions were opening new opportunities for growth and strategic partnerships.
He called on governors to consider how they could support the secretariat in carrying out the work for which the institution was established.
On the foundation’s finances, Beavogui described an organization that was well managed and had stabilized liquidity risk but remained in “murky waters requiring careful navigation.”
He urged governors to help strengthen the institution’s financial position by honoring their membership contributions.
“I call on you, the Governors, to accompany the Secretariat in fully stabilizing the ship by honoring your membership contributions,” he said.
Beavogui said the Executive Board remained committed to supporting the Secretariat and called for continued collaboration to guide the organization in addressing Africa’s most pressing capacity gaps.
“A strong ACBF delivering value to its member states is now evident,” he said.
From Energy Access to Economic Transformation
The governors’ program also featured a master class by Hon. Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella on “From Energy Access to Economic Transformation,” examining how energy access can translate into productivity, jobs and broader economic transformation.
The session outlined five pathways: financially viable utilities, power planning for productive use, skills and enterprise development, regional electricity markets, and investment in institutions capable of turning policy into results.
The African Capacity Building Foundation is the African Union’s specialized agency for capacity development. Established in 1991, it has more than three decades of experience strengthening the human and institutional capacity needed to advance Africa’s development priorities.
The governors’ meeting forms part of the 12th Africa Think Tank Summit, being held in Cotonou from Oct. 28-30. The official opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29.
The summit, expected to bring together more than 600 participants from more than 50 countries, is being held under the theme “From Energy Access to Economic Transformation: Practical Policy Pathways for Power Sector Viability, Growth and Reform in Africa.”
