Blair Signs Pact With Elumelu Foundation

16 June 2011

The Tony Blair’s African Governance Initiative (AGI) and The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Wednesday entered into a partnership agreement which programme is targeted at supporting and strengthening good governance and private sector capacity building to achieve economic development in Africa.

The African governance initiative was founded in 2008 by the former British Prime Minister is pioneering a new focus of equipping committed and dedicated African leaders with the capacity to deliver the public services expected of by their citizens, to tackle deep-rooted poverty, and attract the sustainable investment to build strong economies for the future.

Also, the Tony Elumelu Foundation was founded by the former managing director of the United Bank of Africa (UBA) Plc and its programme centers on promotion, celebration of excellence in business leadership and entrepreneurship in Africa. It is committed to driving the continent’s economic growth from within by proving the African private sector can itself be the primary generator of economic development.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja while signing the partnership agreement, the Former British Prime Minister, Mr. Blair explained that the African Governance Initiative arose out of his desire on leaving office to continue to work in Africa; working somewhat in a different way.

He said the foundations had already commence operations in three countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, explaining that the choice of the three countries was informed by the fact that they were just recovering from war or crisis situations and greatly faced with governance challenge.

According to him, “Africa’s economic prospects have never been brighter. But realizing this potential depends on governments understanding the private sector and how to support it. This is an extremely important part of the work that the Africa Governance Initiative does.

“When I left I decided to focus on the real issues of Pan-Africa potentials, changes in its governance and changes in private sector investment. So, we have begun in three countries starting with Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and we hope there will be more in Africa.

“We focus very much on what I think is the biggest challenge for modern day leaders which is not really about ideology. So what we are really focusing on is ability of delivery, getting things done; private sector development which is creating circumstances which can attract t private sector investments.

“So that is the partnership my foundation and Tony is putting together. I am really excited about it and I hope in time to show that it is possible to focus on very basic issues in governance to get things change in the right way.

On his part, Elumelu said: “The initiative is going to help support African governments that are ready and keen transforming their economies. We believe that the private sector have a key role to play in catalyzing economic development of any country.”

He said the Foundation also believes that private sector involvement is key to catalyzing economic development; and so this is a convergence of two foundations that would lead in awesome of private sector in changing economies.

It needs also to be said that the government sector has to be capacitated and assisted for it to be able to create the right environment that would engender competitiveness, prosperity that would eradicate poverty. We are starting from Liberia, Sierra Leone and other African countries would follow too.

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