Overall detail One of the ESDA Programmes, Sustainable Urban Development (ESDA-SUD), is geared towards developing these skills and expertise in the youth who will take urban leadership forward, given that in most nations in Africa, poverty remains a pressing challenge for the proliferating urban communities, many years after independence. The cumulative effect of integrated poverty as currently observed has the potential of undermining national and regional development agenda. These challenges need a new approach in higher learning, where schooling ultimately offers practical solutions to societal problems. Community and innovation-based learning for ESDA Urban Sustainable Development (ESDA -SUD) in Africa intends to empower citizens to act for positive environmental and social change through a participatory and action-oriented approach. This will help learners to better understand the urban environment in which they work and live, address the complexity and interconnected societal challenges such as poverty and economic empowerment, solid waste management, effects of climate change, water and sanitation management, poor health, food insecurity and energy needs.

As such, existing economically viable opportunities for income generation and wealth creation need to be enhanced through existing and new income generation activities in urban areas. The sustainability challenges that have continually faced cities need to be overcome if ordinary citizens could contribute meaningfully to sustainable urban development and industrialization in Africa. Innovations to address these challenges will require skills generated through field-based and end-user oriented programs. The role of universities in capacity and competence building in this endeavor therefore cannot be overemphasized. It is clear that the importance of mainstreaming sustainability in the curriculum, which forms the core the ESDA programmes. The ESDA-SUD represents a paradigm shift from traditional training for white colour jobs to training for self-employment, employment creation and wealth creation in urban Africa. Given the focus of this programme, the mission of the KENYA ESDA- SUD course is to enhance skills development for sustainable development in Africa by training innovation and action-oriented professionals ready to make a contribution to sustainable livelihoods of vulnerable urban communities cooperation with the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University. The objectives are to:

i. Equip the students with skills and competencies for innovation development in pursuit of sustainable urban development ii. Equip students with skills of doing Science and Technology-oriented research with direct bearing to enhanced social-economic development iii. Inculcate into the students innovative entrepreneurial culture and practices for wealth creation and poverty alleviation iv. Develop professionals capable of advising governments on policies that support sustainability thinking for societal development.

Aligned with Kenya CSP The proposed ESDA-SUD project fits well within Pillar II of the CSP which focuses on Developing skills for the emerging labour markets of a transforming economy. The main objective of the Bank's Assistance Strategy under Pillar II is to develop skills of the Kenyan workforce, notably the youth (at least half of which are women), to improve their employability and build their capacities to start own businesses. Improved skills are expected to enable them to engage in more sophisticated, higher value-added economic activities, thereby contributing to structural transformation. In which case the ESDA-SUD would fit in the scheme of activities. While we have an ongoing Higher Education Science and Technology (HEST) Project under Pillar II, the Government is also proposing Phase II of HEST, which would fit well with ESDA-SUD. The University of Nairobi is already a beneficiary of HEST.

Aligned with High 5 This project is also aligned to five of the Bank's High 5 priorities for Africa: 1) Light up and Power Africa through research and development (R &D) of renewable energy in cities in Africa, 2) integrate Africa through promotion of collaboration of universities in Kenya and East Africa to build regional human capacities for sustainable development; 3) industrialize Africa through research and education to develop industries in the areas of food, water and energy in African cities; 4) Feed Africa through the promotion of research on urban agriculture and food security, and 5) improve the quality of life for the people of Africa through skills development, youth entrepreneurship, capacity building and the promotion of community active participation in urban development.

5.Aligned with Government of Japan through upcoming TICAD VI in Nairobi as well as partnership with UNU and University of Tokyo The progress made in developing the ESDA-SUD, forms part of what was agreed upon by the AfDB PRST in Tokyo in 2013, a commitment to promote collaboration between AfDB and UNU in developing relevant skills for Africa's growth and development. In the coming TICAD VI, which will be held in Nairobi in August 27 and 28, 2016, AfDB and UNU will organize an ESDA side event (together with University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University), as a reporting session, to share the progress of these programs with all the stakeholders and map the way forward. Our PRST will attend to TICAD VI and expects to see the output of ESDA as well as the strengthened collaboration with UNU.

TAKEI Keiko - RDGE2

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/.