AUDA-NEPAD has launched its Silver Jubilee celebrations, marking 25 years of driving African-led development through infrastructure, agriculture, trade, health and youth empowerment initiatives.
African Union Development Agency – NEPAD has officially launched its Silver Jubilee celebrations, marking 25 years of shaping Africa’s development agenda through African-led solutions, regional partnerships and long-term investment in economic growth.
The year-long commemoration began with a Gala Dinner in Johannesburg on 14 May 2026 and will continue with a Business Breakfast hosted alongside the Thabo Mbeki Foundation in Cape Town on 21 May.
Originally launched in 2001 by former South African President Thabo Mbeki alongside African leaders including Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Hosni Mubarak, NEPAD was created as Africa’s response to its own development challenges.
Over the past quarter-century, the agency has expanded its work across infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, trade, climate resilience, gender equality and youth empowerment.
“What is today known as AUDA-NEPAD emerged from Africa’s determination to shape its own development trajectory at the turn of the century,” the organisation stated.
Chief Executive Officer Mrs Nardos Bekele-Thomas described the anniversary as a reflection of Africa’s determination to lead its own future.
“We gather to honour a choice made in 2001, a deliberate, political and intellectual choice by a generation of African leaders who believed that Africa could no longer be spoken for, planned for, or developed from the outside,” she said.
The organisation highlighted several major milestones achieved over the years.
Through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Rwanda significantly increased maize and wheat yields, while Ghana strengthened farmer participation in agricultural planning and expanded rice production.
Infrastructure and trade projects have also expanded regional integration. The One-Stop Border Post programme has grown from a single crossing between Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2009 to 32 operational posts today, reducing border waiting times across multiple regions.
Health programmes have accelerated access to medicine registration and improved tuberculosis treatment outcomes in countries including Zambia.
Youth and women empowerment initiatives have also played a major role in the agency’s work, with programmes supporting vocational training, entrepreneurship and creative industry development across the continent.
The anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the year with forums, youth summits, policy dialogues and regional showcases focused on digital transformation, climate adaptation, infrastructure and continental trade.
