JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT BY DBSA, IDC and AFD
DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES CO-FUND SCARCE SKILLS PROGRAMME IN AFRICA
Johannesburg, South Africa 16 September 2010 – The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Agence Française de Development (AFD) today announced a R55 million capacity building fund to support the Pan-African Capacity Building Programme (PACBP) earmarked to address the scarce skills challenges within the infrastructure development arena in Africa.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of the funding agreement between the partners on Thursday (16th September 2010), the Chief Executive of the DBSA, Mr Paul Baloyi, said the PACBP programme is geared towards a partner-driven skills enhancement, training and capacity building initiative for African professionals working towards sustainable infrastructure development on the continent.
“In order to implement successful infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa, there is an urgent need to continue to build capacity on an ongoing basis. The Pan-African Capacity Building Programme is one intervention that will ensure that capacity constraints in the infrastructure development arena are addressed”, he added.
The French Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Jacques Lapouge, said infrastructure development programmes in the continent are not hampered by lack of funding, but by critical shortage of requisite skills in implementing basic infrastructure projects (such as developing water resources, sanitation, waste management, energy, roads and urban transportation). The French government has therefore given to French Development Agency the task to systematically include an element of training and capacity building in its different projects
“Pan African Capacity Building programme is an example of the way France and South Africa could cooperate further in Africa” he added.
The IDC CEO Mr MG Qhena said “The IDC is very proud to be a partner in the Pan Africa Capacity Building Programme which has developed excellent and comprehensive capacity building initiatives. The objectives of the PACBP programmes are in line with the IDC’s Leadership in Development Strategy in which we seek increased engagement with key role-players in different sectors locally, in the rest of Africa and globally in order to unlock the strengths of the African continent through development and integration of regional value chains. The involvement of the French Development Agency, CEFEB and municipalities in the PACBP will ensure the transfer of First World infrastructure and municipal development skills to Africa which will equip us better to meet the huge infrastructural development and management challenges faced by our utilities, municipalities, government departments, DFIs as well as private sector players in infrastructure and municipal development.”
Contact:
Fikile Rouget: DBSA Development Fund Communications
Email: fikiler@dbsa.org
Development Agencies Co-Fund Scarce Skills Programme in Africa. Read More