Abuja, Nigeria - In the framework of the Fleet Safety Global Training Programme regional workshop held on 30-31 July 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria, the first regional meeting of CIFAL Centres based in Africa took place. The meeting brought together directors of CIFAL Durban , CIFAL Dakar , CIFAL Banjul , and CIFAL Nigeria to strengthen collaboration and expand capacity-building initiatives across the region. The meeting focused on the theme of road safety, bringing together experts from across the region to exchange good practices and identify priority training needs.
The directors' joint participation in the Fleet Safety workshop reinforced the value of aligning public institutions with academic research, serving as a catalyst to produce evidence-based strategies, build local capacity, and foster leadership. The meeting served as a collaborative platform to discuss shared priorities, explore pertinent research opportunities, and design initiatives tailored to their local communities' needs. Hosted by UNITAR, this landmark gathering reinforced the importance of regional cooperation in building community resilience and empowering local leaders to ensure that community needs remain at the forefront of advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
"This regional meeting represents a critical milestone in fostering collaboration among our CIFAL training centres, as we come together to exchange knowledge, deepen partnerships, and catalyse joint action in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals across Africa." Dr. Christopher Belford, Director, CIFAL Banjul, Associate Professor of Economics, University of The Gambia.
"The regional meeting supports the Sustainable Development Goals and reaffirms our commitment to uplifting our communities with capacity-building initiatives addressing critical development priorities. Our CIFAL Centres aim to champion education and community outreach in the pursuit of achieving the 2030 Agenda, together." Prof. Mpilo Ngubane, Director of CIFAL Durban, Chief Learning Officer, eThekwini Municipal Academy
"Our combined efforts as leaders of CIFAL Centres based in Africa serve as an instrumental platform to build networks and share good practices in critical development topics, expanding the CIFAL Global Network's role as regional hubs for capacity-building" Dr. Mamadou Mbow, Director, CIFAL Dakar, Director, Centre for Training and Development of Municipal Staff, Municipality of Dakar, Senegal
"Our CIFAL Centres gathering has reinforced the shared commitment to community engagement and opened new pathways for collaboration to enhance our collective impact." Ms. Ihuoma Njemanze, Director of CIFAL Nigeria.
Each participating CIFAL Centre is hosted by a prominent local institution committed to advancing sustainable development in their communities:
