Gabun erhält 154 Millionen US-Dollar zur Finanzierung von Hochschul- und Berufsbildungsprojekten im Öffentlichen Dienst. Guinea Bissau erhält 12 Millionen US-Dollar zur Verbesserung der Qualität der Berufsbildung in der Verwaltung. Ein neuer Private Equity Fond verschiedener Organisationen investiert in den afrikanischen Gesundheitssektor unter anderem in die medizinische Bildung.
- Gabon: CFAF 71.5 Billion for Higher Education and Vocational Training
Gabon’s efforts to enhance technical skills in potential growth sectors received the support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group on Wednesday in Tunis, where the institution’s Board of Directors approved a loan of CFAF 71.5 billion, equivalent to 99.30 million Units of Account (US$154 million) to finance a Public Services Higher Education and Vocational Training Support Project.
The project, to be implemented over a five-year period, aims at the training of middle and senior-level personnel through reform of the training system, increase Schools’ admission capacity countrywide, improve the quality and relevance of programmes and, consequently, the effectiveness of public resources allocated to the education sector, as well as gradual reduction of expenditures on scholarships for studies abroad. The envisaged institutional reforms and skills development activities will involve 11 higher education institutions (comprising the 3 existing universities, 5 higher professional schools, and 3 research institutes) and 21 technical and vocational education institutions.
The project is in keeping with the Bank’s strategic orientation in governance, particularly in terms of assisting member countries to better rationalize spending and enhance the effectiveness of sector operations. Moreover, the Bank’s strategic orientations focus on public sector governance and recognize the importance not only of private sector development, but also the efficient use of public resources to reduce poverty.
The project is also consistent with the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy Paper (PRGSP), notably the pillar on the “Enhancement of Governance”. It supports the implementation of structural reforms and capacity building for national institutions so as to improve the availability and quality of relevant technical skills for effective implementation of the other two pillars of the national strategy, namely : “Promotion of Strong and Pro-poor Growth”; and “Improvement of Access to Basic Social Services”.
The project is also in line with the Bank’s Higher Education, Science and Technology Strategy, whose most relevant pillars include: strengthening national and regional centres of excellence in the priority areas; establishing and rehabilitating scientific and technological infrastructure, and establishing links between higher education, science and technology on the one hand, and the productive sector, on the other.
The project will cover the country’s provinces. The direct beneficiaries will be students of the country’s three Universities, namely the University of Health Sciences (USS) and the Omar Bongo University (UOB) in Libreville, and the Masuku University of Sciences and Technology (USTM) in Franceville; students of higher professional schools and institutes, students of industrial and rural technical and vocational education where female students will be offered training possibilities in much more diversified areas. The project will benefit 1,000 higher education students each year, and 4,000 technical education students. The skills of teachers, supervisory staff and heads of institutions (numbering 468) will be developed and strengthened. The administrative and financial management skills of 134 technical officers of the supervisory Ministry and training institutions will be strengthened, thereby helping to enhance governance in the sector.
The project is estimated at UA 110.02 million, about CFAF 81.4 billion. The AfDB loan will finance 90% of the expenses while the government will provide the remaining UA 10.72 million or 10% of the total cost.
* 1 UA (Units of Account) = 1.58223 US$ = 720.385 CFAF on 20/07/2009
Quelle: Artikel Internetseite Afrikanische Entwicklungsbank vom 22.07.2009
- African Finance and Education Ministers Conference Ends in Tunis
The African finance and education ministers’ conference that opened on Wednesday, July 15, in Tunis ended on Friday July 17, 2009 with participants calling for greater cooperation among education sector stakeholders and better leadership on the part of African countries to ensure the sector weathers the storm it is currently going through, especially within the framework of the current global financial crisis. Speaking during the last day of the conference, PAGL Executive Secretary, Mamadou Ndoye, said that the continent’s education initiatives had hardly attained their objectives due to the lack of resources and capacity. He also pointed to the lack of commitment on the part of African governments and their failure to make the most of the fruits of regional cooperation such as the sharing of best practices that could result in better quality.
The former chair of the Association of African Universities, Prof. Njabulo Ndebele, for his part, made a presentation on the theme: “Strengthening African Tertiary Education through Regional Collaboration: Successes, Challenges, and Options for the Way Forward” in which he pointed out that collaboration was key to the development of higher education on the continent. He called for greater inter-institutional collaboration, pointing out that a staff development partnership was already underway on the continent with the Universities of Cape Town, Dar-es-Salaam, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Nairobi, Makerere and Zambia as well as the Kenyatta University of Science and Technology participating.
He underscored that regional collaboration was potentially focused and could provide greater regional benefits. He underscored that regional collaboration could stem the tide of brain drain through opportunities distributed competitively within the regional system, adding that regional diversity could serve as a source of innovation.
Meanwhile, speaking on Thursday within the framework of the conference, Singapore’s Finance Minister, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, underscored the importance of building a knowledge-based society. He shared the East Asian experience, in general, and that of Singapore, in particular, with participants. He stressed that education had taken his country from a Third World country to a First World country through efforts by the government to build a national education system, foster mass education, create a common identity and aspirations in a multi-racial society and promote vocational and technical institutions.
He also said that it was necessary to allow universities to charge realistic fees so that they could recruit the best faculties, while government should instead provide bursary to low and middle-income students. He advised that education financing also required policies that would make it possible to attract private funding for university endowments and that meritocracy should be encouraged as it breeds social mobility. He called for the provision of quality principals and teachers in every school, including those in poor neighborhoods.
The conference, which was held on the theme: “on the theme: “Sustaining the Education and Economic Momentum in Africa amidst the Current Global Financial Crisis”, brought together 15 finance ministers and 22 education ministers, education experts from across the globe and representatives of the civil society and the private sector. It was organized by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and the World Bank (WB), with the support of donor partners of the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI).
Quelle: Artikel Internetseite Afrikanische Entwicklungsbank vom 20.07.2009
- AfDB Approves US$ 12 Million for Administrative Capacity Building Project in Guinea Bissau
Guinea Bissau will get a US$ 12.10 million grant, equivalent to the Bank’s 7.8 million Units of Account*, to finance the country’s Administrative Capacity Building Support Project, approved by the Board on Wednesday in Tunis.
The project is designed to improve the supply, conditions and quality of vocational training in administration; help to build capacity in the economic, financial and administrative arms of the government as well as ensure the computerization of the public procurement management system.
Key outcomes include the establishment and nurturing of the National School of Administration (ENA); improved performance of economic and financial arms of the public administration; as well as project management and monitoring.
The project is designed to address, with greater commitment, the problem of inadequate capacity that affect the delivery of public services. The low qualification of workers, the lack of a general capacity building plan, low salaries and weak leadership at various levels are among the challenging issues to deal with.
The Administrative Capacity Building Support Project (ACBSP) stems from the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) aimed at institutional and governance capacity building for the public administration, the National Good Governance Programme (PNPG) prepared by the government to implement national priority actions, and the “Good Governance Strengthening” pillar of the 2005–2009 Results-Based Country Strategy Paper (RBCSP), which is an implementing tool. It provides the government with the possibility of training all its workers and recruiting staff from a much more competitive labour market.
The project will cover the entire country in that the ENA will admit civil servants and other people without distinction, provided they are desirous of acquiring skills in the area of administration. The stock of skills acquired at ENA will help to gradually improve the performance of the government, enhance its presence and control in the management of public assets, while promoting broader basis for the people’s participation in wealth creation. Consequently, the entire working population of Guinea Bissau will benefit from the project.
The project is estimated at UA 7.80 million (CFAF 5.95 billion in February 2009). The ADF will cover the entire cost of the project.
* 1 UA Units of Account) = 1.55223 US$ on 15/07/2009
Quelle: Artikel Internetseite Afrikanische Entwicklungsbank vom 16.07.2009
- New Private Equity Fund Launched to Strengthen Health Care in Africa
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the German development finance institution DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH announced today that they have created a new private equity fund that will invest in Africa’s health sector.
The Health in Africa Fund, managed by Aureos Capital, will invest in small- and medium-sized companies in sub-Saharan Africa, such as health clinics and diagnostic centers, with the goal of helping low-income Africans gain access to affordable, high-quality health services. The fund will be measured not only by fiscal performance but also by its ability to cultivate businesses serving the poor.
The Health in Africa Fund will help implement key recommendations of IFC’s landmark report, The Business of Health in Africa: Partnering with the Private Sector to Improve People’s Lives, which found that the private sector already delivers about half of all health-related goods and services in Africa, and that greater investment in private health companies could have major health and economic benefits for low-income Africans.
The fund will target commitments between $100 to 120 million over two closings. Today’s first closing of $57 million includes investments from IFC ($20 million), the African Development Bank ($20 million), the Gates Foundation ($7 million), and DEG ($10 million). The final closing will take place within a year.
“This is a great opportunity to provide health services where it’s needed most,” said Lars Thunell, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO. “The Health in Africa fund is a key component of IFC’s $1 billion Africa health strategy, which includes improving the operating environment for companies in addition to providing financing.”
Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank, noted: “The Health in Africa Fund is likely to have considerable growth potential despite the global economic slowdown and we are committed to supporting this landmark initiative.”
The fund will make long-term equity and quasi-equity investments in socially responsible and financially sustainable private health companies with the aim of scaling up successful businesses, taking proven business models into new regions, and identifying and investing in areas where there are critical gaps. It will invest in a wide range of companies that deliver health services (clinics, hospitals, diagnostic centers, labs); risk pooling and financing vehicles (health management organizations, insurance companies); distribution and retail organizations (eye clinics, pharmaceutical chains, logistics companies); pharmaceutical and medical-related manufacturing companies; medical education; and providers of medical education.
“To fight disease and save lives in sub-Saharan Africa, it is important to improve both public and private health care options for the poor,” said Tachi Yamada, president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program. “With so many low-income Africans already accessing care through the private sector, this fund will help enhance the quality and quantity of that care, while also directly supporting local economies.”
Dr. Winfried Polte, chairman of DEG’s Board of Management, said: “We are proud to support an initiative that is introducing innovative approaches to meet Africa’s health challenges and could help in reducing poverty.”
The fund plans to make about 30 investments, ranging from $250,000 to $5 million. Although viable investment opportunities from all parts of Africa will be considered, priority countries include Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zambia are expected to follow.
“Aureos is delighted to manage a private equity fund focused on bringing capital and business services to SMEs in Africa’s health sector,” noted Sev Vettivetpillai, CEO, Aureos Advisers Limited. He added that the fund manager will provide value-added services to investee companies, including HIV/AIDS management support, business development, quality control, marketing, corporate governance, and operational assistance.
The Health in Africa Fund is part of IFC’s Health in Africa Initiative under which IFC intends to mobilize up to $1 billion in investment and advisory services over five years, following publication of its 2007 Business of Health in Africa report, which focuses on how to improve people’s lives by partnering with the private sector. Besides the equity vehicle, IFC is improving access to long-term financing for smaller companies involved in health care through local financial intermediaries. Together with the World Bank and other partners, IFC is working with governments to help them better harness the private sector to achieve national health goals and is producing the first biennial report on Africa’s health care investment climate.
Quelle: Pressemitteilung der Afrikanischen Entwicklungsbank vom 08.06.2009