African Natural Resources Center holds second consultative session

The African Natural Resources Center, an initiative of the African Development Bank, held its second consultative session on 29 May to continue the development of its 2015 – 2020 strategy. The ANRC aims to identify key areas of intervention in order to provide better assistance to African countries in the management of both renewable and non-renewable natural resources. During the consultative meeting, the ANRC’s draft was unveiled to a room full of stakeholders, civil society representatives, researchers and policy analysts from various countries in Africa.

Sheila Khama, the Centre’s Director, explained the proposed five-year strategy to participants and received their questions and ideas, which she said will be considered and some incorporated in the final strategy that will be presented to the Bank’s Board of Directors for approval.

“The Centre will not solve Africa’s natural resource problems, but will contribute to finding solutions for them in close collaboration with stakeholders in natural resource management,” Khama said.

“The Centre’s strategy should be aligned to what many African governments are doing to better manage natural resources in their countries; we should add value to existing efforts not duplicate them,” she said.

Africa’s natural resources have been the bedrock of the continent’s economy and continue to represent a significant development opportunity for its people. For instance in 2012, natural resources accounted for 77% of total exports and 42% of government revenues.

Participants advised the AfDB to ensure that the Centre collaborates with governments to process and add more value to many of these resources that continue to be exported in their raw form: something, many participants observed, that reduces the level of benefits for many resource-rich countries.

Participants also called on the centre to find ways of promoting transparency in resource management.

The next consultation will be held on the sidelines of the forthcoming World Economic Forum on Africa 2015 to be held in Cape Town, while the last will held in Morocco.

Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/01062015/african-natural-resources-center-holds-second-consultative-session-933/