ACBF to increase support for Liberia;Promises capacity building support toward the achievement of Liberia’s Pro-Poor Agenda

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has reaffirmed its support to the rebuilding process of Liberia under the current leadership of President George Manneh Weah. Making the promise during a side meeting with Liberian delegation at the 27th Annual meetings of the Board of Governors of the ACBF held in the Cameroon Capitol of Yaoundé, the ACBF’s Executive Secretary, Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie expressed his gratitude to the people of Liberia for the orderly and peaceful 2017 elections, which ushered in the democratic regime of H.E. George Manneh Weah.

Professor Nnadozie also extended his congratulations to President Weah and promised to support the Liberian leader and government through policy advisory services in addition to the Foundation’s on-going institutional capacity support and strengthening of the Liberia Macroeconomic Policy Analysis Center (LIMPAC).

In response, Hon. Tanneh G. Brunson Deputy Minister of Budget and Developmental Planning on behalf of Minister Tweah thanked Professor Nnadozie and the ACBF for its continual support to Liberia.

Minister Brunson recounted the ACBF support in 2008 toward the establishment of the LIMPAC and its recent and on-going support to LIMPAC for the establishment of Econometric Forecasting and Training Lab within the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and support towards the completion of three research studies; IMPACT of UNMIL Drawdown on the Liberian Economy, Assessing TAX ADMINISTRATION challenges on Domestic Revenue mobilization, and Analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of adopting Liberia’s new GDP series.

Minister Brunson also congratulated the ACBF on becoming a specialized unit of the African Union and welcomes advisory services and support of ACBF for Liberia, especially during this critical period of drafting, costing, and finalizing of Liberia’s next medium term development strategy; the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.

Madam Brunson further lamented that as a specialized unit of the AU, Liberia looks forward to the ACBF’s expertize and support for domesticating the Africa Agenda 2063 and the 2030 sustainable goals of the United Nations to Liberia’s new medium term development agenda.

For his part, LIMPAC Executive Director Mr. Del-Francis Wreh who accompanied Minister Brunson at the 27th Annual meeting also thanked the ACBF for its support to the revitalization of LIMPAC. The LIMPAC Executive Director assured the ACBF boss of LIMPAC’s preparedness to implement projects and programs of the ACBF that promote the socioeconomic improvement of Liberia.

In a related development, the African Capacity Building Foundation has concluded its 27th Annual Board of Governors meetings on July 20, 2018 under the theme “Youth Employment in Africa: Focus on Developing the Critical Skills”.

During the three Panel discussions, panelists shared experiences and challenges across the African continent about the growing youth unemployment and the risks it poses social cohesion and political stability on the continent. During the deliberations, participants highlighted the need for greater resources in addition to political and financial support. In this regards and now more than ever, Africa needs ACBF to not only continue playing its current capacity building coordination role, but to intensify efforts being made to effectively address development bottlenecks and better support skills development interventions. This accordingly requires increased and continual financial support to the ACBF by development partners and member states. Member states including Liberia were also called upon to start paying their respective pledges towards the ACBF’s 2017 – 2023 strategic plans.