East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 25th November, 2018:An EAC Secretariat delegation has completed a week-long visit to financial institutions in the Republics of Kenya and Rwanda. The objective of the 19 to 23, November 2018 visit, was to engage through consultative meetings with key financial institutions on the implementation of the 50 Million African Women Speak Networking Platform (50MWS) Project.
Leading the Delegation, EAC Director for Social Sectors, Mary Makoffu, noted that the EAC Secretariat had embarked on this engagement with financial institutions at a time when the World is striving to promote financial inclusion, encouraging financial institutions and decision makers to facilitate women access finance the same way men do.
“Women are the pillars of our shaky economies and need to be supported for the interest of the whole society. It is however visible that there are still many more men with access to financial services like loans and bank accounts than women”, added Ms. Makoffu.
Wilson Muyenzi, 50MWS Project Coordinator expounded that on average, only 4.3 per cent of women entrepreneurs have access to loans in Africa. ”
While visiting the Republic of Kenya, Verity Mganga, the Deputy Director, Gender Affairs, Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs in the Republic of Kenya, stressed on the critical role financial institutions have in the implementation of the 50MWS Project.
“I believe that cooperation between the Project and financial institutions is paramount, we must take cognizance of the ability of our financial institutions to promoting financial inclusion”, stated the Deputy Director.
During the Rwanda leg of the visit, the Director of Women Economic Empowerment, Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Jean Bosco Murangira, saluted the initiative of engaging Financial institutions around the implementation of the 50MWS Project.
“The 50MWS Project is coming to complement the efforts that are already being deployed by the Government of Rwanda in the fight against unemployment”, the Director remarked.
The Republic of Rwanda has embarked on a plan to create 1.5 million jobs by the year 2024, half of which target women and girls. Mr. Murangira noted however that most of the women targeted still lack skills that would enable them utilize the opportunity fully.
“I urge the implementers of the 50 MWS Project to prioritize building the capacity of women entrepreneurs therefore helping fast track the regions goals in the domain of women economic empowerment,” he added.
During the visit, Ministries involved in the implementation of the project in Kenya and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment and called upon all stakeholders to support the innovative initiative.
Representatives of the Financial Institutions who attended the meetings highlighted that one of the biggest challenges that women entrepreneurs face besides lack of capital is the lack of confidence, right attitude and mindset to succeed in business.
They therefore recommended the Project to include capacity building sessions to supplement women entrepreneurs in their endeavors.
Most of the banks the EAC delegation engaged with said they have already embarked on the financial inclusion path by setting up products that specifically target women. The banks further expressed their comfort in working with women having noted an impressive trend in their loan repayments.
Meetings in the two countries were attended by participants from the financial services sector including commercial banks, Women banks, Government funds, micro finance institutions, cooperative banks, savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) as well as from the public sector mainly from Ministries of Gender, ICT and EAC Affairs.
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For more information please contact: Achel Bayisenge, Content Manager for the 50MWS Project, EAC Secretariat, Tel: +255 786726230 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 26th November, 2018: The 20th Ordinary Meeting of the Summit of the East African Community Heads of State is set for Friday, 30th November, 2018 at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) in Arusha, Tanzania.
The 20th Ordinary Meeting of the Summit will be preceded by the 38th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers, which is running from 25th to 28th November, 2018, also in Arusha, Tanzania.
Among the items on the Provisional Agenda of the 20th Summit of the EAC Heads of State are: the status of ratification of various protocols; the status of resolution of long outstanding non-tariff barriers, and; the progress report on the adoption of Political Confederation as a Transitional Model to the East African Political Federation.
Other items on the Agenda include: the roadmap for the accelerated integration of the Republic of South Sudan into the EAC, and; the verification exercise for the admission of the Republic of Somalia into the Community.
The Summit will also consider reports on modalities for the promotion of Motor Vehicle Assembly in East Africa aimed at reducing importation of used vehicles into the Community, and; the review of the textile and leather sector with a view to developing a strong and competitive domestic sector that gives consumers better choice than imported textile and footwear.
At their 19th Ordinary Meeting held in Kampala, Uganda on 23rd February, 2018, the Summit directed the EAC Council of Ministers to explore the possibilities of developing the automotive industry in East Africa by reducing the importation of used vehicles from outside the region and thereby make the region more competitive.
The Summit, at the same meeting in Kampala, directed the Council to make the region more competitive by prioritising the development of a competitive domestic textile and leather sector that will give East Africans a wider range of choices in terms of affordable, new and quality clothes, shoes and other leather products.
The forthcoming Summit will also review progress report by the Council of Ministers on the Summit Directive on having two (2) Deputy Secretaries General at the Community recruited competitively on a rotational basis among the Partner States.
The Summit at its 19th Ordinary Meeting held in Kampala, decided that there will only be two Deputy Secretaries General at the EAC who shall be recruited competitively on a rotational basis.
The Summit is expected to assent to various Bills passed by the East Legislative Assembly, namely: the EAC Polythene Materials Control Bill, 2016; the Administration of the East African Court of Justice Bill, 2018; the EAC Monetary Institute Bill, 2018, and; the EAC Customs Management (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The Summit will further consider the implementation status of the EAC Customs Union and Common Market Protocols in addition to the current financial status of the Community.
Media Accreditation
All Local (Tanzanian) Journalists intending to cover the 20th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State are alerted that registrationfor accreditation will be done at the Regional Information Office in Arusha, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,. All Foreign Journalists seeking accreditation must register at the EAC Media Centre Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; cc: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
The accreditation process will commence on Wednesday 28th November 2018 at the Arusha International Conference Centre, 5th Floor, Kilimanjaro Wing, from 09.00hrs to 18.00hrs.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
22 November 2018: The Boards of Directors of the African Development Bank Group have approved US$322.35 million loans and grant to Burundi and Tanzania to finance the Rumonge-Gitaza (45 km) and Kabingo-Kasulu-Manyovu (260 km) road upgrading project.
The project aims at strengthening regional integration and trade in the East African Community, particularly between Tanzania and Burundi through improved cross-border transport and is part of the East African roads network linking the Port of Dar es Salaam to the regional markets in Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
To be completed in 2023, the project comprises several phases, including the upgrading from gravel to bitumen standard of Kabingo-Kasulu-Manyovu (260 km) road section in Tanzania and rehabilitation of Rumonge – Gitaza (45 km) paved road section in Burundi. It also involves the construction and operationalization of a One Stop Border Post between Tanzania and Burundi at Manyovu/Mugina Border; Rural/Urban Roads rehabilitation, Health Centres and Schools construction, Community Water Sources, and road safety, institutional support and capacity building of actors involved, including compensation and resettlement of people affected by the project.
The project aligns with the National Development Plans of both Burundi and Tanzania, particularly the respective sectoral policies on transport in both countries. When completed, this multinational road will help open up rural areas, reduce vehicle operating costs, and enhance road safety. In addition, it will improve access to socio-economic and health infrastructure located along roads, particularly in Burundi’s Rumonge province Tanzania’s Kigoma region.
“The project will fundamentally enhance the mobility of goods and services for the people in Burundi and Tanzania”, said Gabriel Negatu Director General of the Bank Group’s East Africa Regional Development & Business Delivery Office. “The improved transport will bring additional benefits for the two neighboring countries, including empowering women and youth for whom new market centers will be opened and other economic activities will increase.”
The project is in line with the objectives of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2013 - 2022) which focuses on assisting its regional member countries achieve more inclusive and greener growth via the Bank’s High5 priorities including integrating Africa and improving the lives of the people of Africa, The project is also consistent with the Bank’s Country Strategy Papers for both countries, which have infrastructure development as an important pillar. Likewise, the project is one of the priorities in the Bank’s East African Regional Integration Strategy Paper (2018-2022).
Complementary components to benefit local communities along the Project road in addition to the main roads upgrading works were well appreciated by Board members who encouraged packaging such integrated Projects.
For More Information Contact:
Sonia Borrini, Communications Officer, African Development Bank Tel: +225 20 26 55 62; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 22th November, 2018: The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko and Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania and EAC H.E Wang Ke today signed the grant agreement worth 200,000 USD to support EAC integration process.
Speaking during the signing ceremony the Chinese Ambassador noted the great contribution China is making to the region especially in infrastructure both as an investor and contractor. Ambassador Ke said China is committed to to continue support peace building and good governance process in the region.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 22nd November, 2018: The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has committed a grant of US$34 million (EUR 30 million) to the East African Community (EAC) to support the regional organisation’s immunization efforts. The EAC Secretary General, Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko, and the Deputy Ambassador of Germany to the EAC, Mr. Jörg Herrera, jointly signed the according Government Agreement in Dar es Salaam today.
With the additional grant, Germany will be financing the procurement of vaccines for children in the EAC against various diseases including measles, rotavirus, pneumococcus, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and yellow fever. The programme will be financed through KfW, the German Development Bank and implemented in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The cooperation aims at reducing child mortality in the region and mainly targets newborns.
This new commitment will bring Germany`s contribution to EAC’s regional immunization programmes to approximately US$170 million (EURO 150 million) since 2012. To date, German Development Cooperation with the EAC has financed over 60 million doses of life-saving vaccines for the region and the average immunization coverage in the region was substantially increased, making the EAC’s immunization programmes the strongest in Sub-Sahara Africa.
"Germany is a committed partner to the East African regional integration process. We are proud that our cooperation with the EAC and the Gavi Alliance is contributing greatly to improve child health in the region,” said Amb. Herrera.
Amb. Herrera further said that vaccinations were a highly effective and cost effective means to fight child mortality, adding that particularly focus needs to be put on children from poor families as they often lack sufficient access to quality health care.
Mr Herrera also commended the EAC for its comprehensive approach to address priority health issues in the EAC region such as the control and prevention of infectious diseases, and pandemics and mother and child health.
EAC and Germany celebrated their 20th anniversary of development cooperation last month after holding successful Government Negotiations at the EAC Headquarters. Health is one of the two focal areas of the two sides, the other being Regional Economic and Social Integration.
Germany development cooperation, through the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has to date contributed to regional integration in East Africa through a variety of programmes and projects in these areas. With the new commitments signed today, Germany's funding for Technical and Financial Cooperation with the EAC amounts to over US$350 million.
The Secretary General was accompanied by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge, Chef de Cabinet, Dr. James Njagu, and the Principal Legal Officer, Mr. Michel Ndayikengurukiye. From the German Embassy’s side, the Head of Regional Cooperation, Ms Norzin Grigoleit-Dagyab, and Political Officer Pamela Kanora were present as well as Ms Annika Calov, KfW Country Director to Tanzania and the EAC, and Pascal Kanyinyi, KfW’s Senior Project Coordinator Health.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 22th November, 2018: The Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, received credentials from the Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E Ambassador Shinichi Goto, who has also been accredited to the EAC.
In the Ambassador’s accreditation letter dated 10th October, 2018, and addressed to the Secretary General, the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tano Kono, appoints Amb. Shinichi Goto as the Japanese representative to the EAC.
During their discussion, the Secretary General briefed Amb. Goto on the current achievements on the pillars of the regional integration and development process. He said the Community had expanded tremendously within a short spell of time,a development which has necessitated the Community to review its institutional set-up.
Amb. Mfumukeko further informed the Japanese envoy on the status of the Tripartite agreement between EAC, COMESA and SADC. They also discussed potential areas for collaboration between Japan and the EAC on trade and investment.
In his remarks, Amb. Goto hailed the Secretary General for the good work in deepening the regional integration agenda. He said achieving the Customs Union, Common Market and a Monetary Union within such a short time for the Community was commendable.
Also present at the accreditation ceremony were the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng. Steven Mlote.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
In order to support promotion of the Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi sector of the regional economy, the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the Partner States and Confederation of Informal Sector Organization East Africa (CISO-EA) has organized the annual exhibition since 1999. The exhibitions have proved to be strategic avenues for promoting the Small and Micro Enterprises sector’s products, transfer of technologies, and promotion of the regional integration process.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 20th November, 2018: The 19th edition of the annual East African Community Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition is set for 2nd to 10th December, 2018 at the Eldoret Sports Club in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The theme of the Exhibition is Buy Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSEs) Products, Build East Africa.
The EAC has been undertaking SMEs Development through the East Africa Jua Kali/ Nguvu Kazi exhibition. The exhibition is an annual event that exposes the products manufactured in the region. Organized jointly on a rotational basis by the EAC Secretariat, the East African Confederation of Informal Sector Organisation (EACISO) in collaboration with EAC Partner States, the event brings together artisans from the six (6) EAC Partner States comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The first exhibition was held in Arusha in November 1999 during the historic signing of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC. Subsequent to the success of the Arusha exhibition, the EAC Heads of State directed that the Exhibition be held annually, on a rotational basis amongst the Partner States so as to enhance economic integration in East Africa.
Marking 19 years to date, the annual exhibition brings together artisans from the East African region for purposes of opening up new market frontiers for their products while bridging the knowledge and technological gaps between them.
According to the Director General Customs and Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, the theme portrays the role MSEs are expected to play in the growth and development of the region’s economies. Mr. Bagamuhunda disclosed that so far 1,100 artisans have registered and confirmed their participation at the event.
The 19th EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Exhibition will be officially opened on 4th December, 2018.
To participate in the Exhibition, exhibitors from Partner States (Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan) are required to register with their respective Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations and Ministries of Trade and Industry, while those in Kenya should register with the Small and Medium Enterprises Authority.
During the Exhibition daily symposia will be conducted to build the capacity of the artisans on integration matters as follows:
S/N
Topic
Presenter/ Facilitator
Day
1
Cross Border Trade, Simplified Trade Regime and dealing with NTBs
Republic of Kenya
3rd December, 2018
2
Products value addition
United Republic of Tanzania
5th December, 2018
3
Standards, Quality Assurance, Metrology and Testing (SQMT)
Republic of Rwanda
6th December, 2018
4
Benefits and opportunities from the EAC Integration to SMEs
Republic of Uganda
7th December, 2018
5
EAC Rules of Origin
Republic of Burundi
8th December, 2018
6
MSMES development and opportunities in the Republic of South Sudan
Republic of South Sudan
9th December, 2018
NOTES TO EDITORS:
In order to support promotion of the Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi sector of the regional economy, the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the Partner States and Confederation of Informal Sector Organization East Africa (CISO-EA) has organized the annual exhibition since 1999. The exhibitions have proved to be strategic avenues for promoting the Small and Micro Enterprises sector’s products, transfer of technologies, and promotion of the regional integration process.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 14th November, 2018: A meeting of the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI) convened in accordance with the EAC Calendar of activities for the period of September-December 2018 is underway in Arusha, Tanzania.
The meeting started with the Session of Senior Officials from 12th to 13th November, the Session of the Coordination Committee/Permanent Secretaries’ Session on 14th and 15th November, and will conclude with the Ministerial Session on 16th November, 2018.
Addressing the opening session of the Session of Senior Officials, the Director General-Customs and Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, reaffirmed that the foundations of the EAC were premised on trade and economic integration hence the SCTIFI is the driver of the integration process.
The DG said that the EAC was now getting to 20 years after signing the Treaty in November 1999 and coming into force, 13 years of implementing the Customs Union and eight (8) years of implementing the Common Market Protocol. He said that the year 2018 was a turning point whereby the EAC was undertaking a comprehensive review of the EAC Common External Tariff and Customs Management Act 2004.
Bagamuhunda said that despite the progress being made, a lot needs to be done in regard to Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade to move goods across borders, services and capital.
He disclosed that the EAC Competition Authority was now operational but constrained by a limited number of Staff.
The ongoing SCTIFI is considering, among other things, the status of implementation of the directives and decisions of its meeting held on 30th May, 2018; Reports of the Sectoral Committee on Customs, Sectoral Committee on Trade, and Sectoral Committee on Investment. It is also considering the EAC Competition Authority matters.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
November 2018- As many as 34 African countries refer to carbon mechanisms in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Therefore, many countries in Africa, including Eastern African countries, are interested in exploring the potential of carbon market mechanisms to reduce emissions and to implement their countries’ NDCs. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement covers several approaches for which rules, procedures and guidelines are in the final phase of being negotiated.
In this regard, the GIZ Carbon Markets Project in Uganda implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) together with the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) Kampala and the Secretariat of the East African Community (EAC) organized a Pre-COP24 Negotiators Forum for Eastern African countries (30th Oct – 1st Nov 2018, Nairobi, Kenya). The discussions focused on carbon pricing and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The workshop brought together more than 40 public and private sector participants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Burundi, many of whom were experienced negotiators. Presenters at the workshop included Margaret Barihaihi from the NDC Partnership (NDCP) who gave insights on the support opportunities for NDC implementation; Olufunso Somorin from the African Development Bank (AfDB) who presented on the NDC Hub, an initiative by the bank to support African countries in the achievement of their NDC targets; and Amy Steen from UNFCCC, who delivered a profound analysis of Art. 6.2, the progress of Paris rulebook towards COP24 and the interlinkages of negotiation streams. Finally yet importantly, Rachel Boti-Douayoua representing the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) as a Co-Chair of the African Workgroup of Carbon Pricing, presented examples of carbon pricing approaches in African countries.
During the forum, participants had the opportunity to enhance their technical capacities on general rules, procedures and processes within UNFCCC negotiations framework as well as analyze and discuss the various textual options that are being negotiated under Art. 6.2, 6.4 and 6.8. To complement the exercise, the interlinkages of Art. 6 and Article 4 on accounting, as well as Article 13 on transparency were discussed. In addition, with the workshop introduced the position and key concerns of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on matters relating to Article 6. Furthermore, participants had the chance to get a global and regional overview on carbon pricing developments.
As a result of the forum, discussions between the countries that sparked around Article 6 will be used to inform the East African regional consultations on climate change, which are currently taking place under the auspices of the East African Community Secretariat, supported by the GIZ Carbon Markets Project. The outcome of EAC’s regional consultations will then feed into the AGN’s position paper on Article 6 and other climate change related matters during COP24 in Katowice. In relation to carbon pricing, participants showed strong interest but highlighted that there is a need to strengthen their understanding on the topic and how it can be utilized in the context of their countries.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Kigali, November 12, 2018 - The Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project (ACE II) is holding its sixth Technical and Advisory meeting at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, from November 12th to 14th, 2018. The ACE II project is strengthening 24 competitively selected Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs) to deliver quality, market relevant post graduate education, and building collaborative research capacity in five regional priority areas of industry, agriculture, health, education and applied statistics. Sixteen universities in eight countries are participating in the ACE II Project. The five year project is financed by the World Bank to a tune of $140 million in form of credit to the eight countries which include Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Burundi, which does not host any ACE, is eligible to access services offered by the ACEs in other countries and regional capacity-building activities under the project.
The first phase, ACE I, was launched in 2013 in West and Central Africa with 22 ACEs and the second phase in Eastern and Southern Africa with 24 ACEs so as to create a collaborative movement across the continent to steer higher education towards science and technology. Combined, ACE I, ACE II and ACE III projects have a total investment of $600 million.
The Minister of Education, Republic of Rwanda, Hon. Dr. Eugene Mutimura expressed his passion for the ACE II project “because of the potential benefits and outcomes we expect this project to bring to the region.”
“It would be good to think about regional integration in terms of developing human capital resource required for our region as a bloc,” said Hon. Mutimura.
Prof. Alexandre Lyambabaje, the Executive Secretary of Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), the Regional Facilitation Unit of ACE II, said that the main aim of countries joining the ACE II Project was to create a conducive environment for training highly skilled and competent scientists at Masters and PhD degree levels in identified key strategic areas.
Prof. Alexandre Lyambabaje, the Executive Secretary of Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), the Regional Facilitation Unit of ACE II, said that the main aim of countries joining the ACE II Project was to create a conducive environment for training highly skilled and competent scientists at Masters and PhD degree levels in identified key strategic areas.
“Trained scientists are expected to help address the huge deficit of qualified human resources in higher learning institutions in the region and provide high level expertise to our industries, private sector and public sector,” he said. He added, “I am confident that ACEs will produce great scientific results out of their research activities.” He disclosed that IUCEA and the World Bank are in the process of establishing “Regional Incubators”. “The Centers that will host the Regional incubators will be selected competitively before end of the first quarter of the year 2019,” he said.
Dr. Sajitha Bashir, the Practice Manager, Education Global Practice at the World Bank said that the World Bank adopted a regional approach for higher education in 2014 to build capacity in Science and Technology. “The regional approach was adopted by the World Bank because we felt that to really create a critical mass of high quality scientists and to be able to do applied research of the kind of quality that is required, it would be difficult to do this country by country and a regional approach would be appropriate.” Dr. Bashir noted that it is important that Africa’s young population is equipped with skills.
“By 2040 our estimation shows that about 85% of the world’s young people will be in Sub Saharan Africa. It is important that a good proportion of these young people have high quality higher education and that there is a critical mass of highly qualified scientists and engineers and technologists who can adapt, assimilate and adopt technologies and also create new technologies to address the challenges of Africa,” she said. “I hope that this project and the other initiatives will make a contribution to equipping these young people and motivating them to contributing to Africa’s transformation.”
Rwanda, the host of the meeting, has four Centers of Excellence: the African Centre of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development (ACEESD) and the African Centre of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT) both hosted at the College of Science & Technology, the African Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS), College of Education and the African Centre of Excellence for Data Sciences (ACE-DS), College of Business & Economics. These four Centers will get a total of $20 million over five years to implement their projects.
As with the other ACEs, the funds will be used to develop new programs, expand enrollment, provide world class research facilities, build capacity among faculty and strengthen partnerships with leading regional and global institutions as well as the private sector. For example ACEESD has established a state of the art micro-grid research laboratory and a high performance energy computing unit. The Center will also work with the private sector for curriculum development, student internships and manufacturing of components for its micro grid systems.
Over the project’s duration of five years, the 24 ACEs are expected to enroll more than 3,500 graduate students in the regional development priority areas, out of which at least 700 would be PhD students and more than 1,000 would be female. By the end of the project in 2022 it is envisioned that the centers will have developed sufficient capacity to become sustainable regional hubs for training and research in their specialized fields.
