Abidjan, March 11, 2019 – The Human Resource and Training Officials in African Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) from 7 countries – Côte d’Ivoire, Botswana, Ghana, eSwatini, Nigeria, Togo, and Rwanda – took part in a five-day workshop to discuss trends in human resource and training, and review strategies for improving their operations. The 2019 Consultative Workshop for Human Resource and Training Officials in DFIs, held from March 4 to 8, 2019, brought together 15 officials from 9 African DFIs – Banque Nationale d’Investissement (BNI), Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Ghana Export-Import Bank, Industrial Development Company of ESWATINI (IDCE), eSwatini Development Finance Corporation (FINCORP), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD), and Business Development Fund (BDF). The opening and closing ceremonies of the event were presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Diabate, Chief of Human Resource Department of Banque Nationale d’Investissement (BNI), representing recently appointed BNI Chief Executive Officer Mr. Youssouf Fadiga. Also present at the ceremonies were the AADFI Secretary-General Mr. J. A. Amihere, and the AADFI Training and Research Manager Mr. Cyril Okoye. In his opening address, Mr. Diabate underscored the crucial role of Human Resource and Training Officials, and the necessity for them to be committed to continuous learning. He stated that they were the spine of the company, and as such they constantly needed to update their knowledge, competences and skills to improve their efficiency and increase their productivity. The officials at the workshop reviewed current trends in HR, and shared experience, best practices, challenges, and success factors through a presentation on how the HR department of their respective institutions manages HR issues to deliver services of high quality. They also had the opportunity to connect and network with colleagues from institutions across the continent via a platform that the event provided. At the end of the workshop, Mr. Amara Kouyate, BOAD HR Manager and Class Prefet of the 2019 Promotion of the AADFI HR Training, took the floor, on behalf of his classmates, to thank the AADFI Secretariat for the success that the Workshop recorded, and expressed their satisfaction with the quality of the discussions, and the professionalism whereby the facilitators shared their wealth of knowledge in human resource and training. The Secretary-General was happy to learn that the delegates appreciated the Workshop, and will be able to use in the future the knowledge, competences, and skills that they have learned. He thanked them for coming, and requested them to be the ambassadors of the Association and encourage their CEOs to send more participants to AADFI’s capacity-building training activities. In his closing address, Mr. Diabate, first of all, wished a nice Celebration of the International Women’s Day to all the women at the Workshop, and warmly thanked, on behalf of BNI CEO Mr. Youssouf Fadiga, the AADFI Secretary-General, as well as his entire team, for the success of the event. To the participants, he wished a good continuation in their efforts to improve the quality of services of the African development finance institutions, and encourage them to be committed to continuous learning.