It is time to unleash Africa’s full potential
AFRICA, the cradle of mankind and home to the world’s youngest population, has a historic opportunity to realise its full potential, sharing our potential prosperity by enhancing economic growth, promoting and entrenching democratic ideals. That is why I am so passionate to be running for the coveted position of AU Commission chairperson.
It is time for the AU to provide leadership. Africans of all walks of life are looking up to it. I also strongly believe our continent is at a turning point, a defining moment, when we must drive an agenda that realises a common vision of integration, co-operation, collaboration and committed leadership. It is Africa’s time; we cannot afford to miss this golden opportunity to put it at the centre stage of world politics and economics while improving the lot of our people and countries.
We already have a sound blueprint going forward as envisaged in the AU’s Agenda 2063. This blueprint has a clear roadmap for implementation. One critical area is achieving synergy of member states through collaboration among the eight regional economic groupings and strategic partners.
Africa’s markets must communicate with each other to harness trade and investment. The infrastructure deficit is a challenge. We must secure seamless connectivity through people-to-people interactions, information communication technology and knowledge transfer across Africa. Infrastructure development should also be reinforced by more intra-Africa rail, road, air and water linkages.
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere once said: “Together, we the people of Africa will be incomparably stronger internationally than we are now with our multiplicity of unviable states.”
It is no longer tenable to keep talking of our great potential. It is time to make the African continent felt, heard and respected globally. For this to happen, Africa must take greater responsibility of financing its development and programmes. Such has been the agreement by our finance and planning ministers since March last year. Domestic resources must be mobilised. Focused leadership at the AU Commission will guarantee this is fully implemented.
To increase financial resources, industrialisation and diversification are pertinent. We must harness our blue economy and fast-track the mining industry.
Africa has to build the capacity of our youthful population. Last year African youth aged 15 to 24 years accounted for 19 percent of the global youth population and is projected to increase by 42 percent by 2030. Women must also be fully enabled to play an inclusive role in all spheres of Africa’s development. Tapping into African talent will be the hallmark of my tenure. The collective success to Agenda 2063 lies in creating an indomitable human force to resolve Africa’s challenges.
All African citizens deserve a life of dignity free from harm, in order to promote social justice and to realise their potential. I am optimistic that together we can continue to create a continent that not only embodies our pride and dignity, but is also a hub for peace and stability.
Africa must also make its cultural diversity a cause for celebration. Cultural exchange across the continent through education, travel and symposia. This will renew our pan-African ideals especially among younger Africans.
Our continent has made significant strides in expanding access to education and better health care. In order to shelter our population from extreme want, we ought to explore skills diversification and universal health coverage. Investing in value-addition through agro-processing will increase Africa’s global market share and attain collective food security.
We must partner with the rest of the world. Global challenges such as climate change will only be resolved through co-operation. However, Africa remains most vulnerable to global warming. As such, we need to take serious mitigation and adaptation measures, utilise indigenous knowledge to generate local shared solutions and build resilient communities.
Thus, united by the vision of an independent Africa working for better lives of all her people, it is now time for the AU Commission to foster the realisation of Africa’s full potential through transformative leadership.