The AUDA-NEPAD’s governance structure lauded the Agency’s 2022 impact and progress during the 67thAUDA-NEPAD Steering Committee meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Committee, which comprises of members from 33 African Union Member-States and which is Co-Chaired by Ms. Diyana Gitera, Adviser on NEPAD in the Rwandan Presidency, and Ms. Gnouka Diouf, Ministerial Advisor of the President of the Republic of Senegal, met on 7-8 February 2023 to review the progress of implementation of AUDA-NEPAD programmes and activities.

Reporting back on the previous year’s activities, the AUDA-NEPAD Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas emphasised that it was important for the Agency to embrace an integrated development approach, redefine, and adopt a more agile strategy to ensure that the Agency fully executes its mandate, delivers a people-centred inclusive transformative impact, and champions the implementation of Agenda 2063.

"In 2022 AUDA-NEPAD had a continental footprint, with interventions being implemented in 55 member countries” stated Me Bekele-Thomas. According to the agency’s Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD has made considerable advancements in all of its top priority theme areas.

Ms. Bekele-Thomas reported on the recently concluded Second Dakar Financing Summit (DFS-2) for Africa’s Infrastructure Development. She underscored that DFS-2 featured 22 projects in transport, energy, water and ICT. More than two dozen matchmaking deal rooms were organized during the event between investors and project sponsors where several investments interests totalling 65 billion dollars were discussed.

Ms. Bekele-Thomas also highlighted the Energize Africa Initiative which was launched in September 2022 in collaboration with Afreximbank. This flagship programme aims to harness youth’s creativity and skills into the continent’s economic growth and development, whilst expanding income opportunities for young people – through job creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Reports were presented by all Directorates on their achievements and lessons learned through activities undertaken in 2022 noting in particular the:

• programmatic activities based on NEPAD’s thematic and priority areas such as Economic Growth and Jobs, Health Systems as well as Food Systems.
• institutional efforts at results-based management and performance and;
• the roll-out of key regional and continental programmes.

The 2022 AUDA-NEPAD Annual Report was also presented and received a warm reception from the supervisory authority at the meeting. In the presentation it was communicated that the Agency will also officially launch a publication by its African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) Initiative, titled “The Outlook Report” in Malabo later this quarter.

In response to the two-days of meetings, Ms. Gnounka Diouf, Co-Chair of the AUDA-NEPAD Steering Committee, commended progress made by the NEPAD Agency in 2022 and emphasized that 2023 is an important year to use the lessons learned and good practices from the  first 10 years of implementation of Agenda 2063 to accelerate programme implementation.

The Steering Committee meeting concluded with the adoption of the proposed agenda for the next NEPAD 40th Session of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) meeting, which is chaired by H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda. The HSGOC will meet virtually on the margins of the 36th African Union Assembly.