Addis Ababa – New chairperson of the African Union and President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame has decried the poor growth trajectory of Africa, saying leaders of the continent have failed to create a pathway to prosperity for the people.
He said over the years, leaders of the continent busied themselves studying how Asians got industrialized, forgetting that such system was no longer tenable for Africa. Kagame made the observations on Sunday, while taking over the baton of leadership of the AU from Alpha Conde, President of Guinea.
He said technology has evolved so fast that Africa’s window to follow that strategy is narrowing much more rapidly each day.
According to the AU chairperson, the continent was running out of time and efforts must be geared to save Africa from permanent deprivation.
“Africa’s defining challenge is to create a pathway to prosperity for our people, especially young people.
“Elsewhere, this has been achieved through industrialization but the growth trajectory that transformed Asia is not necessarily any longer a viable option for Africa, simply because we waited too long to act.
“Technology has evolved so rapidly in recent years, that Africa’s window to follow that strategy is narrowing much more rapidly than previously understood. We are running out of time and we must act now to save Africa from permanent deprivation,”Kagame told the delegates.
He said if Africa must take centre stage in upscaling its development process, it must create a single continental market, integrate infrastructures and infuse technology into national economies.
His words,” Scale is essential, we must create a single continental market, integrate our infrastructure and infuse our economies with technology.
“No country or region can manage on its own, we have to be functional and we have to stay together, the financial and institutional reform of the African Union derives all of its urgency from these realities.”
Meanwhile, newly elected President of Liberia, George Weah made his first public appearance at the summit, where he rallied support from member countries to make him succeed.
Weah noted that following his election at this auspicious time in Liberia, he was determined to improve the livelihood of Liberians and contribute his quota to the virtues of African Union.
The post Africa’s Growth Trajectory: We Waited Too Long to Act – AU Chair, Kagame appeared first on Independent Nigeria.
Africa’s Growth Trajectory: We Waited Too Long to Act – AU Chair, Kagame
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