Graduation of the 2nd English-speaking Cohort of the Executive Master’s in Management of African Cities (MEMVA II) NAMED “AKIN MABOGUNJE”

The second English-speaking Cohort of the Executive Master’s in Management of African Cities (MEMVA II) graduated on August 19, 2024, in the Continuing Education Center of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Kingdom of Morocco.  

This Cohort is made up of 25 Territorial Managers from 16 Local Governments from the following eleven (11) African countries: Djibouti, Eswatini, Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Gambia and Uganda. They benefited from this Training, Capacity-Building and Empowerment Program in African Cities Management, face-to-face at Al Akhawayn University, in the City of Ifrane, from June 1 to August 19, 2024. 

The ceremony was jointly organized by the Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane (AUI) and the African Local Governments Academy (ALGA) of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), in the presence of all the partners involved in this initiative, both in person and on the Zoom platform. 

This 2nd Cohort was named “AKIN MABOGUNJE”, from Nigeria, who was a Professor, Geographer and Urban Researcher. Describing his career, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, said: “Professor Mabogunje was an international renown expert, member of many academies of sciences across the world, including the Academy of Science of the USA; UK; France; India; and many academies in Africa. Professor Mabogunje was a practitioner, having been part of the leading team involved in the planning of Abuja, the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was behind the establishment of the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria, the chair of the Cities Alliance Advisory Committee, among others. I had the honor of having Professor Mabogunje as my mentor, and I invite you to discover the legacy of this great African whose name your graduating Cohort bears.”  

MEMVA is part of the support to the realization of the Sustainable Development Agenda (The World We Want), the African Union’s Agenda 2063 (The Africa We Want), in particular Aspiration 1: “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and Sustainable Development”, and of Pillar 2 of UCLG Africa’s Strategic Plan (2021-2030) (known as the Governance, Advocacy for Decentralized Development in Africa Program (GADDEPA 2. 0), which focuses on investment in human capital and capacity building for local authorities and their national associations.  

It is also a Training and Capacity Building Program based on Decentralized Cooperation Projects between African Local Authorities, supported by Scholarships under the African Support Fund for International Decentralized Cooperation (FACDI), set up in 2020 by the Kingdom of Morocco through the General Directorate for Local Authorities (DGCT) of the Ministry of the Interior. The FACDI financed 60% of the scholarships, twelve (12) Moroccan local authorities (1 Region, 6 Prefectoral and Provincial Councils and 5 Communes) sponsored 30% of the scholarship, and the sixteen (16) local authorities which the Graduates represent : 10%. 

The opening of the Graduation Ceremony was also marked by speeches from the Vice-President in charge of Academic Affairs at Al Akhawayn University, Dr. Christopher Taylor, and the Representative of the DGCT of the Ministry of the Interior, Mrs. Nezha El Kabiri. 

Dr. Christopher TAYLOR affirmed that the MEMVA program responds to the need to prepare for the massive urban transformation underway in Africa, but also to the challenges and enormous development potential of the African continent. 

For her part, Mrs. Nezha El Kabiri, representative of the DGCT of the Ministry of the Interior, recalled the role played by the FACDI since its creation, notably in bringing about a qualitative leap forward in the promotion and anchoring of South-South Cooperation in Africa, as well as the 43 sponsorships awarded to African territorial managers under the FACDI’s first three calls for projects. She thanked all the partners and invited them to double their efforts to perpetuate the convincing results achieved to date thanks to the actions carried out. Thanking the graduating Cohort of MEMVA II for their commitment, she wished them every success in their careers. 

For the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi: “Africa’s development and integration must be driven from its cities and territories. You, as executives of African cities, are the driving force behind this move. May you be convinced of this and become resolute militants of this noble cause. This is my wish for you, as I congratulate you on your brilliant success in this Executive Master’s program in Management of African Cities“. 

The ceremony also included speeches by the Honorable Mrs. Fatiha El Moudni, President of the Rabat City Council and Treasurer of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and the Honorable Mrs. Aâtimad Zahidi, President of the Skhirate-Témara Prefectural Council. 

“Together, we can build an inspiring future where education and capacity building are the key to prosperity, inclusion and economic growth”, said the Honorable Mrs. Fatiha El Moudni, adding that this Master’s Program is more than an academic achievement, it is a vital tool for building capacity and enhancing African expertise to support territorial executives and leaders. 

As for the Honorable Mrs. Aâtimad Zahidi, she highlighted the successful Moroccan model of Good Local Governance, with well-defined roles and responsibilities for the three levels of Territorial Authorities, as well as structuring projects such as Digital Transformation, sound financial management and regulation, and the existence of an Administration with strong skills and resources. 

Dr. Abdelkrim Marzouk, Dean of Continuing Education at Al Akhawayn University, emphasized: “As territorial executives, you play a vital role in the well-being of communities. Your work has a profound impact on the lives of countless people. We live in a time of rapid change, technology and challenges to sustainability, equity and resilience. You are the architects of your cities’ futures. So be the leaders your cities need.”   

For her part, Dr. Najat Zarrouk, Director of Development, Knowledge Management and the African Local Governments Academy (ALGA) at UCLG Africa, began by referring to the Royal Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI -May God Assist Him- in terms of South-South Cooperation, recalling the context in which MEMVA II was implemented, based on a solid Multi-Stakeholder Partnership through decentralized cooperation projects, and the Solidarity that exists between African Public Institutions to strengthen human capital at sub-national level, and which has enabled the realization of the second MEMVA Program.  

She also emphasized that this Program aspires to contribute to an efficient and professional local Africa, which, by changing mentalities and transforming leadership, can better implement decentralization, good governance and local development. 

The 2nd Cohort’s speech was read by Mr. Mzwandile S. Ndzinisa, Administrative Director at Piggs Peak Municipality (Kingdom of Eswatini) and Mrs. Wampande Aisha, Human Resources Director at Jinja Municipality (Republic of Uganda). 

“I would like to highlight the incredible journey we have all undertaken together. We started this program as individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds (11 African countries, 16 Local and Regional Governments), and different experiences and aspirations. Yet, we will return as a united group of professionals with the values, knowledge and skills to make a real impact on the Africa we want”.  

The MEMVA II Cohort also expressed deep gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco, underlining that the guidance and enlightened vision of His Majesty THE KING MOHAMMED VI, may God assist him, have laid a solid foundation for this training and capacity-building program within the framework of the FACDI Fund. 

The MEMVA II Program is based on 400 hours of courses, 10 Training Modules led by no fewer than 32 Professors, Experts and Practitioners, the majority of whom are from Africa, a Common Core, a Specialization Period and a Study Tour to the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region and the Province of Ifrane (Ifrane Communal Council). 

Prior to the Graduation Ceremony, the Cohort went on a field visit, from August 12 to 16, 2024, to 16 Public Institutions and Organizations involved in the ecosystem of Decentralization, Advanced Regionalization, Local Governance and Territorial and Local Development, namely: 

  1. The House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco; 
  2. The DGCT of the Ministry of the Interior; 
  3. The Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Council; 
  4. The Prefectural Council of Rabat ; 
  5. The Prefectural Council of Salé ; 
  6. The Prefectural Council of Skhirate-Témara;  
  7. The Communal Council of the City of Rabat; 
  8. Moulay Abdellah Communal Council; 
  9. Hassan District Council; 
  10. The Budget Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance; 
  11. The Kingdom’s General Treasury; 
  12. The Urban Agency of Rabat-Salé ; 
  13. The Communal Development Fund (FEC); 
  14. Wassit Al Mamlaka (Ombudsman) ; 
  15. Deposit and Management Office (CDG); 
  16. UCLG Africa. 

The 2nd Graduate Cohort of MEMVA II follows the very first, named “ALIOUNE BADIANE”, named after the great defender of the cause of African cities and local authorities. The first Executive Master’s Program in Management of African Cities ran online from 2022 to 2023 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, and eighteen (18) Graduates from 8 French-speaking countries received their diplomas at a similar Ceremony held at Al Akhawayn University on Saturday January 27, 2024. 

 

A third French-speaking Cohort will soon be mobilized, under the 4th FACDI call for projects issued by the DGCT of the Kingdom of Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior, which has approved the award of 21 Scholarships. 

 

For further information, please contact: Lbensmain@uclga.org / +212641884326 – UCLG Africa Communications Department 

About UCLG Africa 

United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) is the umbrella organization of local authorities in Africa whose founding congress took place in 2005 in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. UCLG Africa stems from the unification of three continental groupings of local governments following the official language inherited from the colonial period, namely: the African Union of Local Authorities (AULA), mainly English-speaking; the Union of African Cities (UVA), essentially French-speaking; and the Africa chapter of the União das Cidades e Capitais Lusófonas Africanas, Americanas e Asiáticas (UCCLA), mainly Portuguese-speaking. UCLG Africa currently brings together the 51 national 

associations of local governments operating in Africa as well as 2,000 cities and territories with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Through its members, UCLG Africa represents more than 350 million African citizens. Founding member of the world organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), UCLG Africa is its regional chapter for Africa. The organization aims to promote decentralized governance, strengthen the capacities of local governments and defend the interests of African cities and local authorities. It advocates for sustainable urban development, improved local service delivery and the empowerment of local communities. – www.uclga.org 

About Al Akhawayn University (AUI) 

Founded in 1993 by Royal Dahir (decree), Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane opened its doors to students in January 1995. Based on the principles of diversity and an international outlook, the university’s mission is driven by values of human solidarity and tolerance. Al Akhawayn has modeled its administrative, pedagogical, and academic organization on the American university system, and English is the language of instruction. Still, in its infancy, the university has already developed a national and international reputation for its unique identity and potential. Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane is an independent, public, not-for-profit, coeducational, Moroccan university committed to educating future citizen-leaders of Morocco and the world through a globally oriented, English -language, liberal arts curriculum based on the American system. The University enhances Morocco and engages the world through leading-edge educational and research programs, including continuing and executive education upholds the highest academic and ethical standards and promotes equity and social responsibility. NEASC is a globally recognized standard of Excellence. NEASC Accreditation attests that AUI is a university of high quality and integrity.