ACBF and Gates Foundation Advocate for Leadership Investment

On Thursday, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called for enhanced investment in leadership development within Africa's public sector during a webinar titled ‘Leading Public Sector Transformation in Africa: Leadership Lessons from the LEAPS Programme’. ACBF Executive Secretary Mamadou Biteye stated that public-sector reform is often hindered not by a lack of ideas but by the ability to lead change and build trust among stakeholders.

He noted that while African governments are pursuing ambitious public financial management (PFM) reforms, challenges in leadership, coordination, and implementation persist. The Leadership Excellence for Africa’s Public Sector (LEAPS) programme was established to address these issues, combining structured leadership learning with practical applications.

Gates Foundation Senior Programme Officer Adil Ababou highlighted that successful reforms require people to lead, emphasizing the importance of consensus-building and managing resistance in public finance decisions.