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AFDB Engages CSOS in West Africa

October 8, 2019 In Newsroom By

AFDB Engages CSOS in West Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB or the Bank) held a consultation workshop on 26 September 2019 with civil society actors from across West Africa in Abuja. This workshop sought to enable participants to contribute to the West African region new regional integration strategy paper. This is to ensure that civil society plays a more participatory and effective role in addressing the region’s priorities.

Stakeholders at the workshop discussed the Bank’s new regional integration strategy paper (RISP), which will cover the period of 2019 to 2025. This paper seeks to enhance prospects for cross-border economic linkages and unlock landlocked countries and resource-rich hinterlands for large markets and value addition. It also seeks to facilitate the pooling of resource as well as the free flow of goods, investments, services and people for business development for enhanced competitive economies.

Regina Baiden, Policy Influencing and Advocacy Officer at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) who was present at the workshop said “the bank has been open in terms of its engagement with civil society and done so in different ways.  It has created the Civil Society and Community Engagement Division to specifically ensure that the bank is more open for input from civil society”.

The Bank’s engagement with civil society has progressively become an indispensable approach that enhances the participation of civil society and strengthens community resilience in achieving inclusive and sustaining development on the continent.

CSOs act as a bridge between citizens, government, and development actors. Engaging civil society in the work of the Bank in RDGW is a window of opportunity for transforming such untapped CSO expertise into civilian-led socio-economic growth. The Bank recognises that civil society remains a key actor to address specific fragility threats in service delivery across development sectors and countries, filling gaps, connecting, and bringing regional policies and development public services to marginalised non-accessible and affected communities beyond boundaries

Ms Baiden recommended that CSOs should avail themselves to monitor and evaluate projects supported by the Bank.

 

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FIIFI BOATENG

Fiifi is a Ghanaian and currently serves as Communications and Information Officer at the West Africa Civil Society Institute. He joined the Institute in December 2020.

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NANCY KANKAM KUSI

Nancy is a Ghanaian and currently serves as Programme Officer in the Knowledge Management unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute. She joined the Institute in January 2021.

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Agnes is a Ghanaian and currently serves as Head of the Administration unit in the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in October 2021.

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PRINCE AKOWUAH

Prince Akowuah is a Ghanaian and currently the Programme Assistant in the Translation Unit at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in 2020.

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MAXWELL APENTENG

Maxwell Apenteng is a Ghanaian and joined WACSI in September 2010. He provides gardening and janitorial services at the Institute.

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BETHEL KWAME BOATENG

Bethel is a Ghanaian. He provides technical and IT related support to the Institute. He joined the Institute in October 2006.

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WHITNAY SEGNONNA

Whitnay Segnonna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Management from the University of Benin. With 2 years of experience, she has a strong knowledge of organizational and project management. Combined with her bilingualism, she is very passionate about her work. She joined WACSI as Project Assistant on Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) for the Capacity Development Unit.

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Grace Akpene Ziggah is a Togolese and currently the Logistics Officer and also assists in administration duties at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined the Institute in June 2009.

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John P. Frinjuah has expertise and interests in civil society, international development, democracy and governance, conflict, crisis, and security. He has extensive experience working with civil society and international development organizations where he supported and managed research, programmes, and provided technical assistance on a variety of themes around public policy, governance, and development. He is an alumnus of the University of Ghana and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy - Tufts University in the United States, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from two institutions respectively. John speaks English, French and several Ghanaian and regional West Africa languages.

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Gervin has extensive international development experience, including 5 years of policy advocacy and capacity building of grass root organisations. He has implemented over the years a combination of agriculture value chain, livelihood, food security and governance and rights programmes.
Prior to joining WACSI, Gervin worked on two USAID projects focusing on agriculture value chain development and governance in northern Ghana
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Franck Sombo is a development practitioner with the drive to lead self and others to influence productivity and efficiency. His work involves supporting organisations to develop strategic plans, design monitoring and evaluation systems, develop and use relevant performance measurement tools to track progress, assess organizational growth and institutionalise learning. Franck has eight years of experience working with WACSI where he currently serves as the Head, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. His academic qualifications include Masters in Organisations’ and Projects’ Management, and in Business Sciences and a High National Diploma in Finance and Accounting.

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OMOLARA T. BALOGUN

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