Heads of State have called on New Partnership for Africa’s development (NEPAD) to leverage efforts in the improvement of industrialisation and the continent’s electrification programs through emerging and existing trading blocs.

With special focus on agro-processing industries, Information and Communication Technologies and the increase in human capital development,  the Heads of State led by Senegal President Macky Sall, NEPAD chairperson, resounded the need to re-orient policies into strategies that can help Africa’s economy grow sustainably.

The 35th session of NEPAD that has gathered here in Kigali, has at least 20 member states of the African Union subscribed to its Agenda, which, according to leaders, should be holistic and drive a number of investment plans encompassing the entire continent through the involvement of private sectors.

During the session, President Paul Kagame who was represented by Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda’s foreign affairs Minister, was quoted expressing his gratitude to host the ongoing NEPAD session and equally urged practical partnership for sustainable development.

"Rwanda has been actively involved since its inception and let me assure you that we will continue to play our part. I thank President Macky Sall and the orientation committee for keeping NEPAD on Africa’s agenda.

We cannot reach those goals without industrializing Africa, our discussion today is therefore of strategic importance and I look forward to a fruitful exchange leading to practical outcomes,” the President’s message read.

Established in 2010, NEPAD has seen a number of developmental projects that saw the creation of bodies like the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative which under the leadership of President Kagame saw the roll out of Fiber Optic EAC five countries cable in 2013.

According to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Chairperson of the Africa Union Commission, now is the time for NEPAD to bring to the fore, industrialization and other development aspects that can lead to the realization of the AU Agenda 2063.

"The commission and the agency have been engaged in discussion of allocation of responsibilities, in the context of a restructuring project, this includes strengthening the agency’s capacity to drive the implementation of our agriculture and agro-processing, infrastructure, science and technology in the industrialization programs on top of other priorities. We hope in the future to see NEPAD taking on the implementations of these,” she said.

Expectations from Heads of States

Assane Mayaki, CEO of NEPAD, said that from past experience, African leaders should own and lead regional programs and spend more time in developmental agendas.

"These priorities are all linked to regional integration, because we all know that the optimal solutions to our national problems are not at the national level, but at the regional level, whether it is about trade, education, energy or transport.

"Thus one thing that we are requesting to the Heads of State is to be champions of these regional projects that will accelerate the connectivity of this continent, and since we are in Rwanda, the East African community has really embraced strongly that attitude, approach and strategy others should follow suit,” he said.

The CEO further stated that African presidents should also spend more time discussing development and economic issues other than mere politics which constitute essential challenges to the population of Africa.

It is expected that after the meeting, resolutions which would have been endorsed by the ongoing summit will provide more working mechanisms that are expected to help African trading blocs become stronger with the support of expected increase in financial contributions.

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