L'état du renforcement des capacités en Afrique

How do we take stock of the current state of capacity building in Africa? This is the question that this article attempts to respond to. By drawing inspiration from the existing scientific work, drawing from the statistics produced both within and outside the continent, and by referring to developments put forward by different national and international institutions, it is possible to construct the path of capacity building in Africa around theories of change and human capital. The resulting practice of capacity, which was fascinated by the setting up of ACBF in 1991, and supported by the intervention of several development partners, greatly influenced the way the African State operated, the modalities of implementation of educational and scientific systems, the introduction of microfinance, and also the impact of multilateral trade negotiations.This article suggests that capacity‐building in Africa still requires urgent and vigorous actions regarding the production, in both quality and quantity, of scientists, the coordination of efforts dispersed among regional or continental bodies, and the strengthening of individual and collective programmes which prioritise the development of Africanhumanresources in Africa. Key words: human capital, capabilities, change, capacity‐building, ACBF, training, scientific research, projects and programmes