Managers of government business must be sensitized – UG Chancellor

As part of efforts to strengthen Africa’s integration process, Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Mary Chinery-Hesse has emphasized the need for government to build the capacities of persons in charge of government business.

She said sensitizing managers of government business would go a long way to enhance national, regional, as well as, continental integration.

“There is a crucial need to enhance national, regional and continental capacity to generate the skills set for the serious business of accelerating the African Union Project in all its manifestations.” She said.

Mrs. Chinery-Hesse made these remarks while addressing participants at the opening ceremony of a sensitization forum on ‘Enhancing National Capacity for Regional and Continental Integration’, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tuesday, June 25, 2019.

She underscored the importance of Africa’s integration and hinted of the commencement of the operationalization of the Free Trade Area and Customs Union in July 2019.

According to her, Africa lacks sufficient regional integration institutions to train personnel but in line with the commencement of the free trade area, it is highly important for African countries to train competent officials to handle subsequent issues that may emerge from the agreement.

“Free Trade Area and Customs Union which will be operationalized next month, that is July 2019 as a primary step toward the establishment of a continent-wide African Economic Community…These critical responsibilities require well-trained officers who are knowledgeable enough to competently navigate the increasingly dynamic global environment.” She noted.

Mrs. Chinery-Hesse added that “there must be sensitization of the managers of government business to consciously sponsor their staff for such training.”

She also expressed her optimism for the future of Africa’s regional and continental Integration and region-building.



The two-day sensitization forum which is jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, African Capacity Building Foundation and the Centre for Regional Integration in Africa will take a critical look at the process of regional integration, expectations, challenges and capacity building.