Senegalese President Macky Sall has called for the utilization of Africa’s rich natural and human resources, as well as tapping of technological advancement to enhance development in the continent as a foundation for inclusive growth and achieving the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063.
He noted that Africa has everything it needs, including natural resources and agricultural potential.
The Senegalese leader was speaking at a meeting of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) on the sidelines of the 27th session of the African Union (AU) summit taking place in Kigali.
“What we need now more than ever is investment in human capital, so that we can have quality and abundant human resources that have the knowledge and expertise in ensuring that our continent takes its place in the world in terms of development,” President Sall, who was presiding over the meeting said.
While advising African leaders to avoid the trap of external “exploiters” who want to misuse Africa’s resources for their own gain under unequal terms, the Senegalese leader noted that the African continent has rich resources and many exploiters in the world want to utilize them, not for our gain but for their gain.
“I request African countries to exploit their resources while focusing on Agenda 2063 because it is essential in empowering citizens and driving inclusive growth,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said that the NEPAD conference in Kigali offers leaders a platform to discuss critical issues on the continent and find actionable solutions that can be implemented for overall continental development.
““It is important to discuss critical issues affecting our continent as we gear towards agenda 2063,” she said.
NEPAD is an economic development program of the African Union which aims to provide an overarching vision and policy framework for accelerating economic co-operation and integration among African countries.
Among the main mission of this regional initiative is to ensure that African leaders are allocated responsibilities and are accountable for the decisions they take.
AU’s Agenda 2063 is a set of priorities that focus mainly on projects such as the Single Aviation Market, the Grand Inga Dam and other energy projects, the Pan African University, the high-speed rail and road network project, the Pan e-network, the Continental Free Trade Area, the African passport, the Commodities strategy, and the Malabo Plan on Agriculture.
