IRI promises increased support for Youth, Women in EAC region

Posted in Press Release

The International Republican Institute (IRI) has pledged to increase its support for women and the youth within the East African Community so that they can participate more actively in leadership and the democratisation process in their countries.

IRI President Mark Green said that under the Women’s Democracy Network, the institute was seeking to provide assistance to women interested in running for political positions and mobilising communities.

Mr Green said IRI was also working with the youth under a new initiative - Generation Democracy - so that they can constructively participate in governance and democratisation pointing out that in most countries the youth were either helping older leaders to build a better world or fighting those in power.

Mr Green reaffirmed IRI’s commitment to support the nurturing of democracy all over the world, saying the US was keen to share its mistakes with nascent democracies so that the latter don’t repeat the same.

He described the EAC as a vast market which if reinforced by a good transportation network would also revitalise regional trade and open up a gateway to Central Africa which is largely unexploited.

The IRI President was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on the EAC Secretary-General (SG), Amb. Dr Richard Sezibera, at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

In his remarks, Amb. Dr Sezibera thanked IRI for working closely with the EAC and the East African Local Government Association (EALGA) to improve local governance, effectiveness of decentralization policies and their implications in regional integration.

Dr Sezibera said the EAC was actively engaging women and the youth in its programmes and singled out the EAC Youth Platform, the Youth Ambassadors Programme and the Women in Business Programme. He added that the Women in Business Programme was meant to empower women economically by opening doors in business for them and assisting them financially.

He said good governance and democratisation were enshrined in the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC noting that a protocol on good governance was still under negotiation by the Partner States.

Dr Sezibera said significant progress had been recorded in the EAC region with goods beginning to move more freely in addition to the free movement of labour and persons. He disclosed that an East African e-passport was in the offing and could be launched by the end of this year.

The SG said the free movement of labour across the region had to be anchored on the harmonisation of curricula and education systems, adding that an East African Higher Education Area would be launched by the end of the year.

On infrastructure development, the SG said the Community was putting emphasis on railways, energy and ports.

Nigeria and EAC discuss African Continental Free Trade Area

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Nigeria’s outgoing High Commissioner to Tanzania, Dr Ishaya Samaila Majambu, today paid a courtesy call on the East African Community Secretary-General (SG), Amb. Dr Richard Sezibera, at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Dr Majambu and Dr Sezibera discussed the increasing opportunities for intra- and inter-regional trade brought about by the establishment of regional economic communities (RECs) in Africa.

Dr Majambu hailed the many achievements made by the five EAC Partner States especially in the area of infrastructure development saying this would spur economic growth in the region, adding that it would be prudent for other RECs to borrow from EAC’s infrastructure development strategy.

The envoy called for increased exchange programmes and study tours between the EAC and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

On his part, Dr Sezibera emphasised the increasing collaboration between the EAC and ECOWAS. Dr Sezibera said the EAC was keen on what ECOWAS has attained in the area of financial integration.

Noting the establishment of a tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) between the EAC, South African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Dr Sezibera said he looked forward to the FTA linking up with ECOWAS and other RECs to form an African Continental FTA (CFTA).

The SG said the CFTA would be a turning point in that it would give African countries the opportunity to trade between themselves in addition to the global market.

Amb. Sezibera praised Nigeria and its citizens for their patriotism and national pride saying the West African country had made Africa proud.

“When things go wrong in Africa, we Africans are often quick to berate ourselves. Nigerians outside of Africa introduce themselves as Africans and are always ready to defend the continent,” said the SG.