Johannesburg - The African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI) has unveiled its plans for the transformation of cities across the continent.
According to AMALI, the initiative will provide exclusive, tailored support to African city leaders, drawing on the insights and experience of a distinguished group of coaches including former heads of state, government ministers, and mayors with a legacy of transformation.
"The inaugural cohort of mayors taking part in the AMALI City Leadership Programme gathered for an intensive, four-day leadership forum held at the University of Cape Town this week,“ AMALI said in a statement.
"The forum kicked off a year-long programme, which will support the participating mayors to hone their visions for their cities and identify the teams and tools needed to realise them.“
Big Win Big Philanthropy’s Chair and President, Jamie Cooper, who was part of the forum, noted that Africa was experiencing unprecedented rates of urbanisation and growth of its youthful populations. "Bold and competent city leadership has the potential to harness these trends and put cities and countries on a trajectory in which their populations thrive for generations to come. I look forward to working with the leaders in our inaugural cohort as they plan out their respective journeys to delivering these game-changing pathways for their people," said Cooper.
African Centre for Cities (ACC) founding director Edgar Pieterse added that with 42% of the African population living in cities, they must be prioritised in the effort to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth for the continent.
"I was inspired to hear the fresh and innovative ideas shared by the city leaders this week and look forward to seeing how they put them into practice," he said.
Cities, according to James Anderson, who leads Government Innovation programmes at Bloomberg Philanthropies, are the future, and city leaders must have the tools, resources, and networks to lead from the front.
"Bloomberg Philanthropies supports programmes around the globe focused on strengthening city leadership, promoting ambitious city innovation, and equipping city halls with the tools needed today to deliver better results.
“We are delighted to partner on the AMALI programme and launch new work to ensure Africa’s mayors are increasingly well positioned to leverage the power of data to strengthen communities and improve lives," said Anderson.
AMALI advisor and former Mayor of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Arkebe Oqubay, added that it was inspiring to witness the first AMALI City Leadership Forum in Cape Town.
"I am delighted to see African mayors learning about transformative leadership and exchanging experiences on how to transform African cities into vibrant, productive, and liveable hubs that are engines of the economy," said Oqubay.
The Star