The Executive Secretary for the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, officially handed over three Study reports on capacity development imperatives for Agenda 2063, to the Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma, on Wednesday, the 25th of January, 2017 in Addis Ababa.

The AUC commissioned ACBF to undertake this study, in recognition of the centrality of capacity development to the effective implementation of Agenda 2063. The study was released in three volumes which are

1. Capacity Requirements for the New Africa Vision. This provides the conceptual and operational framing of imperatives and capacity issues required for delivering Agenda 2063;

2. Capacity Plan Framework for Agenda 2063. The Framework proposes multi-level and multi-stakeholder Capacity Development Plan that identifies an initial set of foundation capacity strengthening activities for the first 10-year implementation; and

3. African Critical Technical Skills which shows the critical technical skills needed to implement the flagship projects and AU priority programs in support of Agenda 2063.

Dr Zuma expressed her gratitude to the contribution that ACBF is making in the area of capacity development and said that this symbolic handover ceremony is a clear demonstration of the importance of joint collaboration of pan African institutions that share the same aspirations to develop Africa and understand the spirit of complementarity and not competition. She echoed the need for the same collaboration to be duplicated by other institutions.

In his handover remarks, Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie also thanked the AUC, particularly the Bureau of the Chairperson and the Strategic Planning Department for the key role played in the production of these documents, as well as other partners that include the ECA, AfDB and CAPDEV. He also underlined the need for African countries and their development partners to take forward the recommendations from the three studies presented, in order to fill the capacity gaps that are hindering the implementation of Agenda 2063.

The handover ceremony took place on the sidelines of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union.

These Reports are a product of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF). The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of the ACBF Executive Board or Board of Governors.