The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) has co-convened the First Technical Expert Meeting on the AUDA-NEPAD Centre of Excellence Supply Chain and Logistics (SCL CoE) with the Ghana AfCFTA, National Office in Accra.
The Centre of Excellence is part of a network of five (5) Centres that have been established by the AUDA-NEPAD as part of the structure of the Agency to drive knowledge capitalisation for development solutions. These include Energy and Climate Resilience; Human Capital and Institutions Development; Science, Technology and Innovation; and Rural Resources and Food System, inclusively hosted in the 5 regions of the African Union.
Coordinator of the Ghana National (AfCFTA) Office Dr. Fareed Arthur highlighted that the AU’s Agenda 2063 is key on the AfCFTA with strong emphasis on rapid industrialization and manufacturing for Africa to benefit from its own mineral resources.
“We embrace the opportunity to continue working with AUDA as the technical agency of the union towards realising the dynamic and responsive AfCFTA that is robust and competitive to deliver,” he added.
According to Dr. Fareed Arthur, the AfCFTA recognises supply chain logistics as a key driver for Trade and with the global supply chain disruptions, and with a strategic view towards the AfCFTA, there is a demand on African countries to invest more to improve manufacturing capacity through regional and national industrial development strategies.
“Supply chain and logistics are one of the key drivers for the successful implementation of the single continental market,” he further stated.
The incoming first African Global President of the Charted Institute Logistics and Transport Chief Tetete Owusu Nortey emphasized that businesses and the private sector has a greater role to play in the economy of Africa and therefore require the needed stimulus. He urged that much attention is paid to Supply Chain infrastructure.
The President-elect of CILT International charged the Africa Union to resuscitate the former NEPAD Foundation in all the 5 AU regions.
