Madam Secretary General of the Hauts-Bassins Region, Madam Mariama KONATE / GNANOU, representing the Governor, proceeded this Tuesday, September 20, 2022 in Bobo-Dioulasso, to the official installation of Mr. Wendlassida Hermann POUYA, newly brought to the head of the General Delegation of the Regional Center for the Living Arts in Africa (CERAV / Africa) at the end of the ordinary session of the Council of Ministers of September 14, 2022.
Mr. POUYA has thus just succeeded Mr. Michel SABA, who would have spent eight (08) years at the head of this institution with a regional vocation. In the presence of the administrative authorities, the staff of CERAV/Africa, cultural actors, friends and family, but also men and women of the media, the outgoing Delegate General, Mr. Michel SABA took stock of his management of the Center from its operationalization to the achievement of the main results. Among which we note among others: the development and adoption of the fundamental texts of the Center, the mobilization of cultural actors on the scale of the African continent and the creation and functioning of bodies (Board of Directors and Scientific and Cultural Council ) of the Centre, the mobilization of technical and financial partners, the holding of regional workshops in Bobo in 2016, Niamey in 2017, Ségou in 2019, Abidjan in 2020, Ouagadougou in 2021 and most recently in Dakar in 2022.
Added to this is the external evaluation of the five years of management of CERAV/Africa, commissioned by UNESCO, deemed satisfactory, and which led to the renewal of the status of UNESCO Category 2 Center for a period of eight ( 08)) years, to name only these results.
Mr. Michel SABA wished to reiterate his thanks to the various ministers who succeeded one another at the head of the Department in charge of Culture, from Mr. Baba HAMA to Mrs. Valérie KABORE, to the technical and financial partners, in particular the UNESCO, the European Union, WBI, OPC (Belgium), ECOWAS, UEMOA, OIF, AFRICALIA, Culture and Development and many others whose support alongside CERAV/Africa is flawless.
Today, CERAV/Africa's priorities are directed, among other things, towards the relocation of the Centre's headquarters to a more appropriate site, the pursuit of actions relating to the implementation of the recommendations of the various regional workshops, the pursuit of mobilization of States and TFPs for the financing of the Centre's future programmes, etc.
One of the ways to help Mr. POUYA achieve his goals, according to Mr. SABA, is to work to make these projects a reality.
The outgoing Managing Director expressed his full availability to support the incoming CEO, whose new challenges are also his own.
As for the incoming Delegate General, Mr. Hermann POUYA, he wished to thank the authorities, in particular the Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, for this mark of confidence placed in him to lead the destiny of that of CERAV/Africa.
To the outgoing CEO, he congratulated him on the many achievements made. But that said, the challenges ahead cannot be possible without teamwork. He therefore says he counts on the involvement of each other in order not only to continue the achievements already made, but also to win other battles.
For his part, Mr. Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Victorien Aimar SAWADOGO, present at this ceremony, congratulated the outgoing DG for the achievements made during these years spent at the head of the CERAV/Afrique, and apart from ricochet, reassuring to transmit its message to whom it may concern. He also invited Mr. POUYA, the incoming CEO, to work to always carry CERAV/Africa high, while sustaining the achievements made.
The handover ceremony ended with the presentation of the staff gift to the General Delegate and the usual congratulations.
Communication Department/CERAV
