Deliver good services to spur growth - Ambassador Adeoye urges African experts

Experts in local governance, decentralisation and urban development in Africa have been urged to deliver good services to ensure the realisation of the continent's strategic framework for development - Agenda 2063.

This includes helping to promote good governance, particularly at a time when some countries on the continent were grappling with political instability and youth agitation for effective public service delivery such as increased employment opportunities.

The Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union Commission (AUC), Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, was addressing an AU Specialised Technical Committee Number Eight (AU-STC No. 8) Bureau meeting in Accra yesterday.

Five countries form the bureau. They are Tunisia, which is the Chair; Uganda - First Vice-Chair; the Democratic Republic of Congo - Second Vice-Chair; Ghana - Third Vice-Chair and Lesotho, the Rapporteur.

The meeting which was organised jointly by the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the AUC, and the Local Government Ministry, was aimed to, among other objectives, discuss and address some of the imminent threats to building an effective public service, decentralisation and urban development in Africa. 
 

Impact

Mr Adeoye said issues of public service, local governance, decentralisation and urban development had impacted on “political and good governance that we want to build, we want to achieve; but also most important is the stability of our cities, of our rural areas and by extension, our continent.”

He, therefore, said that by addressing those issues,  Agenda 2063, which is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming the continent into a global powerhouse of the future would eventually be realised.

“As you know very well, our continent is facing various challenges. The youth population is expanding exponentially; at the same time, we also have to deliver good public services to the people of our continent” Mr Adeoye added.

The commissioner further said that good public service delivery was among strategic issues of importance to the realisation of Agenda 2063, and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

He said establishment of the bureau could not have come at a more opportune time than now when issues revolving around climate change, digital governance, the use of artificial intelligence and local economic development had gained currency.
 

Roadmap 

The AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, called on the five bureau member nations to develop a clear roadmap of activities they were carrying out in housing, urban development and local governance sectors for accelerated growth.

The Tunisian Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, who is also the Chairperson of the bureau, Leila Chikhaoui Mahdaoui, stressed the need for greater collaboration among the participating countries to deliver comprehensive development packages for their people.
 

Pledge 

The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei Mensah-Korsah, in a speech read on his behalf by the Head of Local Government Service, Dr Stephen Nana Ato Arthur, pledged the commitment of the country to achieving the objectives of the bureau and the continent as a whole.