AfDB President Donald Kaberuka urges African Young Professionals to be bold, innovative

Dr Donald Kaberuka - AfDB President

The African Development Bank (AfDB) President Donald Kaberuka has given a pep talk to the Bank’s Young Professionals, discussing their role in the institution’s overall business and the part they will play in its vision and strategy.

He urged them to have greater confidence and to be bold and innovative, saying “We all make mistakes, but the biggest one is doing nothing.”

Mr Kaberuka stressed that the Young Professionals (YP) programme is very much a leadership process, and one in which “we cannot afford to fail”.

The session, a statement from the Bank March 2, 2012 said focused on the AfDB’s Long Term Strategy (LTS) for 2013 to 2022, which is currently being formulated through extensive discussions with interested parties across sectors inside and outside the Bank.

Issues on inclusive growth, climate change, regional integration and how the Young Professionals (YPs) programme could be improved were also discussed.

The statement said Mr Kaberuka encouraged the YPs to work with the Human Resources Management department on ways to make the programme better. The discussion also included the Bank’s internal processes, project cycles and dialogue with member countries, it added.

Talking about the meeting afterwards, the YPs spokespersons, Yoannes Kassahun Bitsat and Nana Spio-Garbrah said they had the opportunity for long and fruitful discussions about the LTS among themselves. They also expressed satisfaction with the programme’s objectives and that they were ready to help improve it.

The Young Professionals Programme (YPP) at the AfDB Group aims at attracting highly qualified and motivated professionals from its member countries, who are committed to African development, have demonstrated outstanding academic and professional achievement, as well as effective team work and leadership potential.

By Ekow Quandzie

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