Africa Month honours the continent’s dedication to unity, freedom, and progress as well as its rich heritage throughout the month of May. Rooted in the founding principles of the African Union (AU), formerly the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), Africa Month serves as a period for reflection, celebration, and collective action.
Against the backdrop of Africa Month, the 2024 theme “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century” takes on profound significance. It underscores the importance of building resilient education systems that provide increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning—a mission that resonates deeply with the work of African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI), the first leadership programme focused specifically on African city leaders that hold political office.
As Africa’s urban population is projected to more than double by 2050, with a significant proportion being youth, there is a pressing need for proactive leadership equipped to address the evolving needs of communities. Therefore, AMALI is dedicated to empowering African city leaders with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to drive transformative change in their municipalities and counties. Through collaboration with 29 African cities and counting, AMALI is actively fostering a generation of leaders capable of navigating the complexities of rapid urban growth and shaping inclusive, resilient systems that meet the demands of the future.
“Mayors are at the heart of changing every aspect of people’s lives in cities. Employment creation, improving urban governance, and transformation of cities are core priorities for the legacy of successful African mayors.” – Prof. Arkeve Oqubay
According to Professor Arkebe Oqubay, former mayor of Addis Ababa and a member of the AMALI advisory board, “Mayors are at the heart of changing every aspect of people’s lives in cities. Employment creation, improving urban governance, and transformation of cities are core priorities for the legacy of successful African mayors. Hence, we must put maximum effort into developing the leadership capability of African mayors.”
In the spirit of progress and enlightenment, we honour Africa Month by acknowledging the achievements of our beloved continent thus far. Let us reaffirm our commitment to advancing the transformation of African cities through leadership development and education. May the month of May inspire us to unite in pursuit of a brighter and more prosperous future for Africa as a whole. A happy Africa Month to all.
AMALI is a partnership of the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town, Big Win Philanthropy, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The programme draws on each organisation’s rich experience and expertise to support participating city leaders.
