By Muhammad Amaan
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), has released a report to assist African countries to accelerate and ensure the successful implementation of Agenda 2030 and 2063 on the continent.
The ECA said this in a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja.
The ECA report is titled: “Towards Africa’s Prosperity: Creating Conditions for Socially Inclusive, Environmentally Sustainable and Well-Governed Continent.”
The ECA said the report was a response to some World Leaders in January 2020 for a “Decade of Action” to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
It said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres further emphasised this by inaugurating ‘Our Common Agenda.’
According to the statement, the agenda focuses on foresight analysis and involves looking ahead and examining how significant change can be achieved.
“These calls for action came amid worsening global economic problems caused by the disruptive effects of COVID-19, the crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the escalating climate crisis.
“These issues have led to global hunger, limited access to essential health services, poor educational quality, gender inequality, violent conflicts, vulnerability to natural disasters, and climate change.
“Africa is the worst-affected region, posing a threat to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established in 2015.
The SDGs are designed to enhance global shared prosperity and improve people’s lives by 2030” it said.
The statement said the Report aimed to help African countries address these challenges and accelerate the desired implementation of Agenda 2030, which aligned with the goals of Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU).
It said major themes assessed by the report include Africa’s economic and social conditions and a comprehensive definition of prosperity.
“Others are scenario casting through a macroeconomic model on options for achieving prosperity in Africa by 2030, accelerators of Africa’s development, and the role of governance institutions in economic transformation.
“The report identifies the critical ‘game changers’ that can accelerate Africa’s development process in achieving the key goals of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030.
“Some of these include the urgent and imperative need for an agricultural revolution that will harness the continent’s green resources to feed itself and become a net exporter of agricultural products and processed agricultural goods,” it said.
The ECA said the report suggested pathways to accelerate progress towards achieving prosperity in Africa by 2030, aligning with Agenda 2063’s vision.
It said this included promoting inclusive political and economic governance, improving the capacity, autonomy and accountability of economic and political institutions and addressing disparities between the rich and poor.
It said applying fiscal and monetary policies judiciously, creating incentives for enterprises, modernising technology and infrastructure, and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) among others were also included.
The report stated that governance institutions – economic and political were essential for sustainable development and socio-economic transformation in Africa.
It listed key political institutions to include the judiciary, human rights bodies, and participatory entities like Parliament while economic institutions encompassed national planning, resource management, and accountability frameworks.
The Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr Claver Gatete described the report as a significant effort that would significantly contribute to achieving a stable, democratic, and prosperous Africa.
Gatete commended Vera Songwe, the former ECA Executive Secretary, for her leadership and initiative on the project and the task team led by Sa’id Adejumobi, that planned, supervised, and coordinated the production of the report.
He also commended the Director of Strategic Planning, Oversight, and Results Division at ECA, and the consultants who worked with the Task Team in producing the report.
