The African Union cannot afford to ignore the ever-growing surge of migrants that’s fast changing demographic landscape across the continent, a top UN official has said.

The Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, was speaking earlier today in Kigali at the opening of the ordinary session of the AU executive council that brings together ministers for foreign affairs from across the 54-nation bloc.

The meeting is one of the preparatory sessions that are underway in the Rwandan capital ahead of the 27^th AU Heads of State and Government Summit due later this week.

Lopes said that world demographics were changing fast making it impossible to maintain the wealth distribution patterns the continent was familiar with.

Migration trends, coupled with changes in labour distribution across the world, have turned African countries into repository for the youth in contrast to other continents across the world, he said.

"Improvements in literacy rates, transport, ICT and public infrastructure in the last century have significantly influenced migration and transnational social connectivity and vice-versa,” he added.

Speaking at the opening of the session, Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo urged the AU delegates in Kigali to focus on issues that are most pressing for the continent.

"We appreciate the work we do with our partners but I am sure they too understand that our common endeavour would work right if we dedicated time to our continent and update them,” Mushikiwabo said, underlining the significance of African leaders convening to openly discuss urgent issues affecting the Union and its member states with view to finding lasting solutions.

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