Economic Development
Cities today play a major role in fostering and maintaining economic growth and creation of wealth. In most countries, cities account for the greatest share of gross national product, with a global average of 60%. Moreover, with regard to decentralization, the scope of local jurisdiction is being extended to a number of economic, social and environmental issues which were previously dealt with by national governments. The growing importance of cities and local governments calls for assistance for the formulation of sustainable and efficient local economic development strategies which promote growth, reduce poverty while protecting the environment.
The work undertaken by the Local Development Programme aims at empowering local governments by providing them with skills and knowledge for the formulation of:
- Effective local economic development strategies to foster entrepreneurship and business development
- Employment generation strategies, especially for vulnerable groups
It also aims at promoting the dialogue between the local authorities, the private sector and the civil society in order to define a shared vision for their city in terms of economic development and benefit from growth potential and existing opportunities. Because the CIFAL Centres operate as a platform for knowledge dissemination and information exchanges among local authorities, the private sector and civil society, they facilitate the participatory processes by which the local stakeholders can define this shared vision.
New Milestone in increasing Youth Employability in the Niger Delta
In collaboration with federal, state, local authorities and private sector organizations, the Port-Harcourt Project Office has established a Training and Capacity Building Programme for Sustainable Development. Based on an analysis of the skills gap in the Niger Delta, a youth vocational technical training programme has been established to fulfil identified needs. The training ensures a specialized and skilled young workforce needed for the oil and gas industry in the Niger Delta region and beyond in the West African sub-region.
