“There is an Africa that you don’t hear about very much… this is the Africa that is changing, the Africa of opportunity, the Africa where people want to take charge of their own destinies.” — Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

 

Introduction

Africa appears to have reached a turning point. Once dismissed as a hopeless continent beset by war and famine, it is now frequently touted as the next frontier for opportunity and investment. Africa has an abundance of natural wealth and a young and fast-growing population. GDP growth has outpaced many other regions over the last decade, driven in part by rising commodity prices, but also by growing domestic demand and increasingly sophisticated local markets.

If the continent is to capitalise on this potential, it will require managers with vision and competence who possess the personal drive, commercial acumen and technical skills necessary to develop successful and healthy institutions.

While Africa boasts a few excellent schools of management and some good corporate training initiatives, the overall efforts to develop high quality managers are entirely inadequate to meet the opportunities the next few decades will bring. More young Africans are pursuing higher education, but too often, the quality is low.

Continue reading “Catalysing Management Development in Africa – Summary”