njuguna ndung ’ u : combating structural poverty amongst producers in africa remarks by prof njuguna ndung ’ u, governor of the central bank of kenya, at the launch and celebration of solidaridad ’ s achievement of iso 9001 – 2008 certification, nairobi, 20 march 2014. * * * the solidaridad eastern and central africa expertise centre ( secaec ), was officially established in september 2008 in nairobi, kenya with the vision to be a regional leader in combating structural poverty amongst producers in africa and promoting social and environmental sustainability. – this is what i term binding constraints in our economies. its mission is to facilitate the smallholder producers to produce commodities in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner that ensures good market access, improved prices and high incomes for better quality of life. to achieve this, seceac is working in the eastern and central africa region, impacting over 400, 000 smallholder farmers in coffee, tea, livestock, horticulture and food security, cotton, gold and sugarcane. the 2008 world bank ’ s “ agriculture for development report ” recognized the enormous potential of agriculture in offering employment globally. seceac programs in kenya are also aligned to the achievement of vision 2030, which recognizes the agricultural sector as one of the key sectors within the economic pillars for the country ’ s economic growth. it envisages “ a food - secure and prosperous nation ”. regionally, the program targets to achieve six out of the eight millennium development goals targeting reduced poverty and hunger by half by the year 2015 ; promoting gender equality and empowering women through integrating gender issues in their projects, reducing child mortality, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. secaec programs on these value chains are currently valued at 16 million euros, targeting improvement of productivity and quality for better incomes, with the overall objective of improving the livelihood of the smallholder farmers in the region. in achieving its goals and mandate, indirectly secaec are contributing towards the economy of the region through foreign exchange, creation of employment and empowerment of women and youth through programs designed to address gender and youth disparity. within the region and internationally, secaec has established a network of experts and consultants in all the value chains, working with a wide range of collaborators including key government departments. in public private partnership projects ( ppp ), the organization values the role played by both public and private institutions. notable partnership in the region has been with

after a 10 - year journey covering 6. 4 billion kilometres. barclays has kept pace with the changing world and now has a truly global reach through its interaction with a network of other banks around the world. as we celebrate the 100 - year journey, we ask what the next 100 years will bring. will barclays continue to be inspired by the spirit and vision of its pioneers, or will it fizzle leaving behind no more than a memory of its glory days? today more than ever, the spirit of the pioneers is needed. paraphrasing prince faisal in the movie “ lawrence of arabia, ” young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men – courage and hope for the future. old men make peace. and the vices of peace are the vices of old men – mistrust and caution. kenya is at a turning point, with vast opportunities but also significant risks. the banking sector has a critical role to play in taking a long - term bet on the country and supporting kenya ’ s economic transformation. this epic occasion offers the barclays family an opportunity to recommit to a shared future, with hope and courage. the financial sector in kenya and in the region is at a critical juncture, and the challenges that it will face in the 21st century are truly herculean. will barclays rise to these challenges with the responsibility of a leader, treading boldly where others have not trodden? today, questions abound about the cost of borrowing and banking services, enhancing transparency and bis central bankers ’ speeches information disclosures, strengthening corporate governance and business models. appropriate responses to these questions require courage and hope for the future, not mistrust and caution. ladies and gentlemen, the age of average is over. a globalized world is unforgiving and there is no room for mediocrity. a single rogue trader can bring about the collapse of a hundred - year institution. a globalized world allows only the thinnest of margins, and each customer has to be dealt with as if this was the only customer in the world. each of us and our institutions have to be the best that we can be, renewing ourselves relentlessly as the pioneers did. we have to be nimble, quick to adapt to the rapidly changing world. in this, i again underscore the need for innovation. but you know you are in the right place – kenya is and should remain a hot