The Second Meeting of the African Union Network of Centres of Excellence in Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Biodiversity (AUN-CEFAAB), held on December 2-3, 2024, resulted in significant outcomes aimed at strengthening collaboration and advancing the network’s mandate.
Formation of the New Bureau for AUN-CEFAAB
A new Executive Committee was successfully elected to oversee the network’s activities, ensuring balanced regional representation. The composition of the bureau is as follows:
| No. | Positions | Current Institutions | Regions |
| 1 | Chairperson | Suez University | North |
| 2 | Vice-Chairperson | Naffiri | Eastern |
| 3 | General Secretary | Ibadan University | Western |
| 4 | Treasurer | AGEOS | Central |
| 5 | Work Programmes and Action-Plan Vice-Secretary | Rhodes University | South Africa |
Among the key recommendations made include finalizing an organogram will be designed to illustrate relationships among CoEs, aligning them with the African Fisheries Reform Mechanism (AFRM), and developing mechanisms to attract young talent into fisheries and aquaculture through mentorship and job creation initiatives.
Action Points for CoE include:
- CoEs submit annual reports and actively participate in annual summits.
- Twinning and exchange programs will be established to promote knowledge sharing.
- Efforts made to link graduates with the private sector to expose them to aquaculture technology and best practices.
The meeting concluded with a firm commitment to fostering collaboration, resource mobilization, and sustainability among the Centres of Excellence. Delegates expressed satisfaction with the progress made and pledged collective efforts to strengthen Africa’s fisheries, aquaculture, and aquatic biodiversity sectors. These outcomes are expected to accelerate the achievement of the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS) and Agenda 2063 goals, positioning Africa as a global leader in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management.
Source : AU-IBAR, 2024
