© 2015 AU-IBAR. Group photo of participants.A team of experts developed a curriculum that will lend a series of training programmes, which will improve the capacities of member states of the African Union in livestock policy analysis, livestock investment , advocacy and communications. The training will be given to trainers, drawn from all member states of the African Union, who have the will and capacities to influence policies towards livestock development.
In a writeshop, held in Dakar, Senegal, from October 26th to 30th, October, 2015, experts from academia, partner institutions, national ministries in-charge of livestock and AU-IBAR, discussed, analysed and set forth the main content outline, which comprised relevant topics on livestock policies, livestock investment and, advocacy and communication, that would feed into the training manual, trainers’ manual, case studies and exercises. Furthermore, the team of experts developed the necessary documents which allow commissioning the curriculum development and training programmes.
In his closing remarks, Dr Simplice Nouala, on behalf of Director of AU-IBAR, Professor Ahmed Elsawalhy, indicated that in the past few years, a paradigm shift in livestock sector has been observed in a way that officials and experts have started to discuss livestock governance issues, which have never been raised in the preceding years. While appreciating this change, Dr Nouala noted, a lot remain to be done in terms of putting appropriate policies and legislations on the ground and such a challenge has required capacities in policy analysis and formulation; and advocacy and communication.
Dr Baboucarr Jaw, the VET-GOV Programme Coordinator, on his behalf, underlined the fact that the training programme would ultimately be instrumental to raise the profile of livestock in the national and political agenda, which in turn solicit adequate investment for the sector.