The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
Africa has announced it will launch a leadership academy to promote pan-Africanism among member states.
Announced at the ongoing African Union Summit in Kigai-Rwanda, the African Union Leadership Academy will be operational starting this year and will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Academy targets public servants from African countries, AU staff and elected officials, Permanent Representative Council Members and staff of embassies accredited to the body, as well as young African citizens wishing to pursue careers in the AU and its institutions, and civil servants in African Member States and Regional Economic Communities.
Pan African and National capacity building were cited as key in implementing Agenda 2063 of which the next generation of leaders are expected to play a big role and spring forward.
“The AU Leadership Academy answers Africa’s needs and aspirations for a specialized learning agency that is abundantly dedicated to competence development, innovation and learning support towards results-oriented execution of Pan-African programs through different but relevant modes of learning,” said Adoum Idriss the Director, Administration and Human Resource Management of the African Union Commission (AUC) on the sidelines of the summit.
Agenda 2063 aims at having the continent, “more united, as a global power to reckon with, capable of rallying support around a common agenda and speaking with one voice with demonstrated strong capacity to negotiate and withstand influence of forces that would like to see it divided,” the Agenda stipulates.
Training programs at the academy will include; Leadership, project management, policy program dialogue and history of the AU integration.
Making the Academy operational is part of the decision-making, policy and program development within the framework of the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
According to Siyanda Tshabalala a delegate at the summit from South Africa the Academy should help in combating the recent xenophobia; “it will foster a positive attitude among African leaders and citizens, though the realization of their own potential and ability to drive the agenda of the Africa we want,” she said.
Part of the mandate of the institute is to equip staff of the AU with decision-making skills for effective policy design and program delivery. It will also develop and offer specialized and professional courses for young Africans aspiring to pursue careers in the AU.
By making the Academy operational, the African union seems to be more bent lately on tackling challenges faced on the continent through innovative capacity building solutions.
