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Dr Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina, President, Africa Development Bank
Contemporary Africa confronts multiple development challenges: from mass impoverishment and food insecurity,human rights violations, unbridled corruption, identity-based violence and mass atrocities, to destitute or failed institutions, compromised elections and authoritarianism and now use of social & New Media to manipulate its citizens and close civil society space.
That is not so say that Africa has not been investing to reverse many of its self-created challenges. In recent years, Africans have been working to reclaim the narrative of an ‘Africa rising’ that had come under sustained criticisms. There are many reasons for optimism: the continent is home to some of the youngest populations in the world and it promises to be a major consumption market over the next three decades. Advocates of the ‘Africa rising’ narrative have also highlighted the continent’s vast potential of attracting investment and deepening regional and global engagement. In truth, we have much to boast about. All 55 African nations are signatories of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA) which came into force on 30 May 2019, with a market of more than 1.4 billion people, with a combined GDP of more than US$ 3.4 trillion.
We are told that six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies are in Africa; for the period 2014-2050, AU Watch projects that Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt will remain in the top ten. Many African governments are working to develop the required infrastructure and institutions. Political leaders are implementing reforms aimed at improving business conditions. In the World Bank’s 2019 ‘Doing Business Index’, five of the ten most-improved countries are in Africa, and one-third of all recorded reforms occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Across the continent, efforts are underway to improve education and foster a culture of innovation.The potential for success is staggering.
But challenges persist. They are real and palpable. The promise remains unfulfilled.
We understand that for the AU and AUMS to deliver on their promises, political solutions are also needed to tackle the root causes of poverty and create empowered societies and individuals. Poverty, poor governance, inequality and social injustice is an afront to humanity and must not only be confronted head-on, but we as Africans should come together to assist the AU and its Members to deliver on their promise and potential of making Agenda 2063 achievable.
What is the Sustainable Development Program?
At AU Watch we refuse to live with poverty and social injustice.The Sustainable Development Program act as a catalyst, creating opportunities for people living in poverty to realize their full potential. Our programs transform. It transforms families, communities, and countries – so they can thrive and prosper. Whether by helping a farmer access tools to grow her business, giving a community a bore hole, training youths in the village on leadership positions or just understanding how to take Africa to the next level.
AU Watch’s Sustainable Development Program is Africa’s award-winning think-and-do-tank within the AU Watch’s structure championing solutions to Africa’s greatest sustainability challenges – acting and speaking out against any form of social injustice. We are a democratic social justice unit within the larger AU Watch structure set up to challenge the AU and its Members to create a more just and equal Africa. We mobilize the local community for change, and act in solidarity with communities campaigning for injustice. We are, therefore, a convener, thought leader, and voice for millions of Africans working to eliminate extreme poverty, strengthen human rights and citizen participation.Our program helps to increase regional stability by addressing the root causes of violence; opens new markets and generates opportunity for trade; creates innovative solutions for challenging development challenges, and advances democracy, governance, and peace.
We understand that the interlinkages and integrated nature of Agenda 2063 are of crucial importance in ensuring that the purpose of a new AU is realized. We understand that if we realize our ambitions across the full extent of Agenda 2063, the lives of all Africans, especially the poor, will be profoundly improved and Africa will be transformed for the better.We are determined to mobilize the means required to assist in implementing Agenda 2063 through our various partnerships, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.
Talented, committed and responsible people from diverse backgrounds are essential for us to fulfil our purpose of reimagining anAfrica of 2063. We strive to unleash the power of our employees and partners as we cultivate a company culture that is inspired, curious and empowered.
At AU Watch, we believe that how we do business is as important as what we do. We want to achieve good results in a way that treats all our publics fairly and helps to strengthen our communities
Success Starts Here
Our values are part of our DNA. They guide the way we work with our business partners, within our communities and with each other. They are grounded in our ‘Just Imperative’philosophy, including the values of ubuntu, inclusionand equity.
Our values were developed through conversations with clients, employees and our numerous partners across the business about what it means to be part of the AU Watch brand and what we need to value in order to be successful. By living our values, we will be better able to fulfil our purpose and satisfy the changing needs of our customers.
Ubuntu: Africans have this thing called UBUNTU. I am because we are. It embraces hospitality and caring about others, that my humanity is caught up, bound up, inextricably, with yours. So, we serve people living disadvantaged lives with respect, empathy and dignity regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion or education level. We value our common humanity.
Integrity: We operate with the highest levels of integrity and trustworthiness. We report openly on our use of public funds, and fully communicate our work to our donors, research subjects and partners.
Passion: We believe passionately in our mission and the ability of people living in extreme poverty to improve their lives. We are committed to assessing and evaluating our programs to ensure that they reduce poverty and create sustainable businesses.
Resourcefulness:
Resourcefulness is the fuel that keeps our feet close to the fire. Thinkers and development experts who see possibilities, not problems; entrepreneurs who see challenges, not limitations. Savvy professionals who get things done and find ways to make things work. Support heroes who believe, dream and defy the odds. To be resourceful is to come up with solutions, not excuses.
Entrepreneurial Spirit & Ambition: 
We never rest on our achievements. Developing Africa can be tough. We recognize that we must adapt constantly in a fast-changing world, always meeting our clients’ needs and spotting opportunities for new markets. At AU Watch, we believe everyone can develop their own entrepreneurial spirit. That is why we have made it a core value. We combine this with the value of resourcefulness because we expect our people to follow through on their best ideas and make them happen.
Care: 
We care deeply about our impact. We want to make a difference to society and those we touch. We have a sense of responsibility which goes beyond our job
Collaboration: 
We believe in the power of people. Grand accomplishments are never achieved alone. We believe that by working together in a supportive environment, we will achieve more and have greater impact.We have learned that cooperation helps you to achieve your goals. We, therefore, structure everything we do in such a way that, because we are constantly cooperating with others, they are continually open to helping to achieve the organization’s goals. We listen, learn and we share, aiming to build capacity both among our colleagues and beyond. Our work enables dialogue and creates space for people to think, speak and participate.
Curiosity and Rebellion:
We are rebellious and idealistic at heart. We aspire to be kind and responsible to our environment and society, while being an inspiration for others.
We value and encourage creativity. We understand that progress is driven by the inquisitive and the curious. We recognise that creativity exists in many forms, with ideas brimming at every level, from “shoot for the moon” ambitions, right down to our daily work. We embrace innovation and act we courage. We are not afraid to challenge established norms, pursuing the right outcomes, knowing it is rarely easy. We want our people to have the courage to stand up for their ideas and challenge the status quo. Creativity can often mean simply looking at things in a different way and our collaborative culture allows us to build on ideas and continually improve the work that we do.
Authenticity & Innovation: 
Innovation is at the heart of what we do.We value innovation as a means to reduce poverty and treat new ideas, new technologies and new partners as opportunities to grow our impact.We strive to support, learn from and value the contributions of all colleagues. We encourage people to experiment and take smart risks. Our aim is to foster creative thinking that leads to practical solutions to business challenges. We strive for an organization in which innovation is rewarded, diversity is embraced and both success and failure are shared.
Accountability: 
We respect the ideas and opinions of others and insist upon transparency in both our internal and external communication.We take responsibility for our actions and proactively demonstrate that we work with and on behalf of others. We perform consistently to standards and seek to achieve and inspire excellence. We are dedicated to continually drawing from our experience, sharing knowledge and applying it to improve our work.
Client and Customer Focus:
Client focus is deeply embedded into our mindset, driving us to deliver on time, on cost and on quality. We exist to serve customers and recognize that our clients and communities are the reason for our success, and we are one hundred percent committed to listen and respond positively to their needs. We want them to keep coming back and to recommend us to others. We partner with our clients and communities to satisfy their needs and deliver benefits through valuable and sustainable solutions.
Sustainability:
We are committed to ensuring that our businesses and our organization are sustainable in the long-term. `We understand that lasting change requires more than quick fixes and band-aid solutions. That’s why we rely on local leaders to implement our programs. The majority of our staff are members of the community – people who know and have an interest in seeing their communities develop, and will remain long after the assistance is withdrawn.We,therefore,ensure best practice, innovative approaches and continuous improvement in our research, policy advice and public affairs.
Independence:
Our work is independent from our funders. Staff are able to challenge donor thinking and policy and the wider development consensus.We treat all staff and partners fairly and with respect.
Collective Decision Making
We encourage the free flow of information and give voice to the concerns of all the groups, making everyone accountable to each other.
(c) We inspire and empower 
Empowering people is a crucial plank of our program. Conventional approaches toempowerment have failed. “The approach that big donors and Western-conditioned experts have taken to reach the poor – forget about allowing the poor to develop themselves – has been patronizing, top-down, insensitive, and expensive. It excludes the marginalized, the exploited, and the very poor and keeps them from making decisions on their own. Thus, it disempowers them, leaving them dependent and hopelessly ill prepared to improve their lives. Moreover, these “patrons,” however well intentioned, have refused to learn from their mistakes.”
Empowering people means developing their capacity. It means developing their skills so they become competent decision-makers with the confidence to act on their choices. So, there is another way to empower the poor. It starts with giving the poor the right to decide for themselves how they want to improve their quality of life. They must have the right to choose whether they want. They must have access to information and knowledge and the right to decide how they want to proceed.
(e) Outreach Work
• Outreach field staff conduct informal interviews and studies to learn more about the issues faced by the community and how they intend to resolve it.
• Issues are prioritized for further analysis and action as the community work with the AU Watch team to find a resolution.
• When an intervention is agreed upon with the community or individual, AU Watch brings in its resources to effect the project.
(f) Our Media, Communication and Education Work
Working with local communities our governance projects provides citizens the opportunity to monitor and report on the political situation around them. Using an AU Watch app or via WhatsApp, citizen observers send in reports to focal points who verify and AU Watch Media and Communication Team publish the information to a wider network. Through this technology, citizens are able to engage directly with their local governments, strengthening accountability and transparency. We also get the local community leaders and citizens on AU Watch radio and AU Watch TV.
(g) We Campaign for Social and Economic Justice
Growth in Africa has stalled.Corruption and poor governance have subverted many African economies fueling poverty, inequality and injustice. In April 2019, both the IMF and the World Bank cut their 2019 economic growth projections for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to 3.5% and 2.8%, respectively, with growth in 2018 at 2.3%. Poverty has increased — 437 million of the world’s extreme poor are in SSA — and 10 of the 19 most unequal countries in the world are in SSA. Forecasts also indicate that by 2030, nearly 9 in 10 extremely poor people will live in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank projects that if poverty reduction measures and growth remain sluggish, Africa could be home to 90% of the world’s poor by 2030.
How Does Our Social Justice Campaign Work?
A 2063 Africa is possible., but achieving it requires big changes. Through our campaigns, we are building a movement to achieve that kind of change. These include:
Campaigning for an ‘AU Studies’ course. We need an Africa where a special ‘AU Studies’ course is included in the curriculum and taught at all levels of our education systems, including a separate ‘Agenda 2063’ course, a course on anti-corruption and good governance, a course on leadership, business and financial management, and even a course on the African human rights system, taught from primary schools. We are designing such courses and campaigning for them to be taught right from primary school.
Through AU Watch Radio and TV, we also amplify the voices of hostages to censorship, defending dissenting voices that have been muzzled, and campaign against laws and practices that silence those who want changes at the community level. We give communities a powerful online voice, helping people communicate and campaign more effectively using the web to influence events in their local communities.
We build alliances. Our campaigning strategies include creating a community of local changemakers all over Africa, educating people about the causes of injustice and empowering them to demand for their rights. We campaign for anAfrica of economic and social justice, where resources and decisions taken by the AU and its Members are used for all of us.
We believe that when people are mobilized to achieve their full potential, they have the power to change their environment. We particularly believe that Africa is at a crossroad and organizations like AU Watch are able to act as a catalyst to bring about the Africa we want. We believe this because:
1. We are an innovative and agile organization. We understand that we have to rely on strategic, collaborative approaches to initiate and support pioneering programs that break new ground and challenge the status quo. We understand that the AU, as the principal political regional forum for Africa for facilitating international cooperation among its Member States to promote democracy, human rights, multidimensional security, and the advancement of sustainable and inclusive development, it can be made to work.
2. AU Watch is the largest social network and platform in the continent and has the ability to mobilize millions of Africans to the cause of Africa. We understand that working toward an inclusive and equitable society cannot be accomplished alone. Our program staff collaborates with thousands of volunteers, professionals from member and partner organizations to mobilize the NGO community, enhance its impact, align common interests, and promote learning and innovation.
3. We are able to galvanize our uniquely influential network of specialists – thought leaders, journalists, regional scholarsto shape the AU we all want – a people-centered AU.
Through media and communication and outreach work and through our various activities and interventions on all areas of the AU, and through the papers we write, the ideas we generate and the communities we are building, AU Watch shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous Africa.
4. Your local AU Watch is a grassroot organization and is led by local, trusted knowledgeable community leaders — those with an inside voice and understanding that can effect changes on the ground. We promote constructive engagement with the leadership of your local AUMS – providing an essential forum, through our media and other related activities, for navigating the bewildering world of African politics.
5. We bring AU / AUMS news to you; and the issues you are concerned about and want the AU to respond to, to the farms, markets, schools, living rooms and cafes of Africa. Through our television and radio debate shows, dramas, public service announcements, mobile phone services and face-to-face communication we provide individuals and communities a platform to engage their state managers and question them on issues which they are concerned about. Our television, radio and digital programs directly engage people and the AU in discussions, encourage communication across political, ethnic, religious and other social divides.
6. Our work is underpinned by research, evaluation, and analysis. We know that the derivative knowledge and evidence are crucial in shaping the changes needed for that vision of an Africa at peace with itself to be realised – an Africa that can assist its citizens and institutions navigate the challenges ahead. We further understand that extreme inequality, injustice, insecurity, poverty, corruption, bad governance, and human right violations are the defining challenges of our time – challenging not only the AU but also the world at large. We at AU Watch believe that if we act now to address these challenges Africa, and indeed the world will be a safer, fairer and more prosperous place! We provide research on political, social and economic policies and many other issues and themes defining the 21st century. Our research is authoritative, providing strategic analysis and practical solutions to assist policy makers in both public and private sectors to achieve their goals.
7. Our research and analysis create an environment for change. We are aware that public policy can help reduce poverty, prevent violations and promote more inclusive growth and greater social equity. We are aware that strong, informed policies can help establish more stable economies with decent work opportunities for the poor, build peaceful societies, and advance development. But to be effective, policies must not only be evidenced based, they must be supported by the citizens they are meant to serve. We are able to galvanise millions of the African citizenry for the cause of Africa.
8. Our policy and analysis are based on lessons learned from years of working with the AU and in Africa. To engage with our leaders AU Watch has set up the ‘NGO Forum on the (African) Summit of Heads of State and Government.’ At the margins of every Summit and for three days before the policy organs meet, AU Watch organizes an NGO forum, bringing together various NGOs to strengthen cooperation on democratic values, defend common interests, and debate the major issues facing the continent, and which are of importance to the African people.
9. At the margins of all the Ordinary Sessions of the African Commission, the African Court, the Expert Committee on the Rights of the Child, the PSC, AU Watch convenes a one-day ‘Human Security Ideas Workshop’ event to discuss important developments and challenges in human security and human rights theory and practice with experts, practitioners and academics. The events, which comprise of keynote speakers and open discussion, help to frame topics, generate ideas and support programming.
10. We provide consultancy in the following sectors and themes: justice, governance, climate change, security, sustainable development, human rights,media, and communication. We provide tailored guidance, frameworks and technical advice for partners, donors, businesses, governments, and institutions to implement policies and interventions which promote social justice, good governance, sustainable development, security, human rights and peace. We also provide programs that fosters sound environmental management policies and long-term economic development that benefits local communities, and especially women.
More on the Work of the Development Program
AU Watch promotes regional progress and prosperity by focusing on improving the lives of every African. Explore our major work programs research themesand partnerships.