President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged African nations to collaborate more closely to foster economic growth, emphasizing the need to overcome the historical divisions of colonialism. Speaking at a presidential dialogue during the African Development Bank’s annual meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, Mnangagwa echoed calls from other African leaders for a reformed financial architecture to address systemic gaps.
“We have only recently begun to truly collaborate as African nations, shifting our focus from our former colonial powers to fostering connections among ourselves,” Mnangagwa stated. He highlighted the continent’s rich resources, which he believes can support Africa’s development, modernization, and industrialization independently of former colonial ties.
Mnangagwa stressed the importance of internal connections within Africa to pool resources and develop collaboratively across sectors such as agriculture and education. He cited Zimbabwe’s reliance on wheat imports from Ukraine as an example, suggesting that African nations could become self-sufficient in such areas.
Kenya’s President William Ruto discussed the intertwined challenges of climate change and sovereign debt at the same meeting. He described how these issues create a cycle that complicates public investment and resource mobilization efforts necessary to meet Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 commitments.
“Climate change necessitates significant resource reallocation towards mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. The financial architecture we propose for Africa must reflect our most pressing development challenges, including debt sustainability and climate vulnerabilities,” Ruto explained.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame criticized the current international financial framework, calling for reforms that prioritize African interests rather than those of external “architects.” Kagame highlighted the strategic importance of Africa’s burgeoning middle class and its potential impact on global growth.
“It’s crucial that the world recognizes Africa’s interests as central to global prosperity. We can’t remain passive recipients of aid; we must actively pursue our developmental goals,” Kagame said.
Source: Newsday
