“If local government authorities are enhanced, then city and development of the people will follow,” Landing Sanneh, Chairman of Mansakonko Area Council, (Gambia)

At the 3rd edition of the Forum of Territorial Managers and Training Institutes targeting the Local Level in Africa (FAMI), the Chairman of Mansakonko Area Council (Gambia), Mr. Landing Sanneh, highlighted the importance of investing in human capital at the local level in Africa. See the video below (also available as a transcript) recorded at the end of FAMI, which was organized by the African Local Government Academy (ALGA) of UCLG Africa, 10 -14 June 2019, in Ifrane (Morocco).

How have you enjoyed the 3 days at FAMI?                          

The course of these 3 days was very interesting and I would say, very relevant to my work in local government, taking into account the topical area that we are discussing, such as the renewal of area resources, financing in local governance and also the spectrum of capacity building. The key aspect was the sharing of experiences and information with other colleagues. I have learnt a lot from the experiences of mayors and others colleagues from across Africa and beyond. I think this is a big opportunity, which I will share with other colleagues when I return home.

Why is it important to invest in human capital at the local level in Africa?

I think investing in human capital is a prerequisite to sustainable development, because then you have the personnel and resources to do the work that is necessary to create development for our countries and our continent. Without rapid training and capacity enhancement, I think we will be going back and forth and won’t further the agenda or sustain the gains that we make. In essence, I think we can’t do anything much apart from hold and build capacity to make sure we create the foundation for our development, objectives and strategies.

What is your last word?

I appreciate this training and the opportunity given to us by ALGA, UCLG Africa and all the partners involved in this program. I will encourage the organizer to look at how much we can still expand on these kinds of activities and also see how many more activities will come. I believe that if local government authorities are not enhanced they will not see the fruits in national development. This is where we have the people, where we have the grassroots, and if local government authorities enhance capacities well enough then development of the people will happen and will be taken seriously. If people at the grassroots are developed then, of course, they will also develop nationally.