AfDB’s VP defines ‘Kaizen’, its importance at a seminar on sidelines of TIAD7

Co-organized by JICA and NEPAD on the sidelines of the 7^th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7), Kaizen was in the discussions at a seminar under the theme "Africa's Socio-economic Transformation through innovation" on Tuesday. The seminar was intended to develop quality and productivity including human resource development on the continent.

The Sino-Japanese word Kaizen actually means "improvement". Whereas, in business, Kaizen refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the Chief Executive Officer to the assembly line workers.

The panellists at the seminars included CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, Assane Mayaki, Bezabih Gebereyes, Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; and JICA Research Institute Director General Toshiyuki Nakamura, of the Industrial Policy and Public Policy Department.

"The Kaizen approach is more than a technique…it is an approach to economic development, and it's been yielding tremendous results," Dr. Celestin Monga, Chief Economist and Vice President, Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, African Development Bank said. He further noted the requirement for incremental innovation in each African nation, but also called for increased support to small and medium-sized enterprises as a starting point to scaled-up industrialization. According to him, the entire continent requires to create production line as "even with low-skilled labour we can do tremendous things."

"Kaizen is about mindset changes. It will be a formidable tool to enhance productivity of SMES…We have rolled out projects and training programs in 10 countries," Assane Mayaki said. Bezabih Gebereyes elaborated the contributions and achievements of Kaizen in Ethiopia saying how it subsequently transformed mindset have led to increased efficiency in spare parts production lines. "In the sugar cane sector, the Kaizen model has led to a 43 percent hike in productivity," he noted.

The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina is also leading 7^th Tokyo International Conference on African Development 2019 (TICAD7) slated to take place in Yokohama in Japan between August 28 and 30.

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