The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has praised the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) for its leadership in addressing Africa’s human resource gaps through its training programmes.

He urged African nations to prioritize human capital development as a key driver of accelerated economic growth.

Ambassador Defa emphasized China’s ongoing collaboration with African educational institutions, particularly in the fields of technology and agriculture, to raise the next generation of business leaders.

This partnership, he stated, would significantly boost the continent’s economic capacity.

Ambassador Defa made these remarks during the 2024 graduation ceremony of CEIBS in Accra, where 93 students were honoured for excellence in leadership programmes.

“It is necessary for African states to develop their human resources and talents. So at the FOCAC summit in Beijing, the Chinese government and African leaders mapped out a special action plan for the development of human resources for the next three years.”

“We have some exchanges with 1,000 party members to discuss governance, and we will provide 60,000 training sessions for African business people in various sectors,” Defa added.

He further emphasized China's willingness to share its expertise in agriculture and technology with Africa.

The Ambassador commended CEIBS for its vigorous efforts in training the next generation of business leaders, pointing out that human resource deficits remain a critical barrier to Africa's economic transformation and accelerated development.

Experts estimate that Ghana's leadership deficit costs the nation $30,000 per citizen. To address this and foster rapid economic growth, CEIBS has been actively training business executives and, during the 2024 graduation ceremony, recognized 93 students for their leadership achievements. The graduates were urged to become catalysts for change in their respective industries.

Pikay Richardson, a visiting professor in leadership at CEIBS, attributed Ghana's economic and environmental challenges to poor leadership during an interview with JoyNews.

“If River Pra is what a lot of people drink from, and they don’t have pipe-borne water, and it’s that polluted with chemicals, are you happy with it?” “Nobody is happy with it. The question is, why is nothing being done about it?” he asked.

He added, “Leaders are the ones who have the power to take action. You and I, what power do we have? If we see the danger and those in power are doing nothing, you must ask yourself why.”

On his part, CEIBS Executive Director, Professor Mathew Tsamenyi, highlighted the importance of a collective effort to tackle Africa’s human capital and leadership challenges.

“It’s not just about training; it’s about the right training. The skills gap must be identified by understanding the needs of the continent or the country and then training people accordingly.”

He added, “Our missing link is in manufacturing and value addition. This is why China’s approach differs—China focuses on impact. What we are doing at CEIBS is enabling African entrepreneurs to learn from China and bringing Chinese entrepreneurs into Africa.”

Several graduates, already established leaders in their fields, have vowed to tackle Africa’s human capital challenges in their unique ways.