African parties must prepare for governance before taking power
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Fanamc
Benedicta Lasi, chair of the Africa Governance Centre, calls on African political parties to strengthen their skills and institutional capacities before taking power. She says this preparation is essential to ensure continuity of economic policies beyond electoral cycles, in Addis Ababa.
Benedicta Lasi, chair of the Africa Governance Centre, called on African political parties to strengthen their public policy expertise, institutional capacities and leadership training before taking power. She was speaking on 6 November in Addis Ababa, at the second African Political Parties Summit, according to Fanamc.
Benedicta Lasi said an electoral victory alone is not enough to provide the knowledge needed to run a ministry, negotiate major contracts or manage a national economy. She stressed that the quality of governance depends in particular on the officials selected, the policies prepared and the work carried out before taking power, according to Fanamc.
She also called for public policies to be set within timeframes extending beyond four- or five-year electoral terms. Building industrial capacity, expanding electricity networks and improving agricultural productivity require, in her view, continuity that can be weakened by changes of government.
Lasi cited party schools, research institutes and policy analysis centres as structures that can test proposals and prepare future public officials. The Africa Governance Centre created the African Political Parties Initiative, a continental platform for exchanging on policy preparation, governance and knowledge transfer during political transitions. Launched in Accra on 7 March 2025 by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, it brought together more than 30 parties from more than 20 countries at its first summit and established partnerships with political organisations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia, according to Fanamc.
