AfDB meet: What the delegates said

After five days of deliberations at the 49th African development Bank Annual Meetings under the theme: “The Next 50 year: the Africa we want”, delegates head home to embark on the implementation of the ideas and resolutions discussed at the meetings. The New Times Collins Mwai spoke to a number of delegates and below are their comments. Ali Issa Abdi – Alternative governor central Bank of Somalia From the meetings, there has been concern on what Africa has been able to achieve, what we have done right, and what we have done wrong. The consensus is that the minimum this continent needs is regional leadership and continental leadership that will be reform- minded and committed to the entire population of Africa. A fundamental message to carry forward is that leadership is not something we can manufacture. We need to develop it over time and practice it not only on the economic front or political front but in all aspects. The Africa I want: I come from a country transitioning from conflict, I want peace and security, because with that, everything is possible. There are few people who would have imagined Rwanda’s potential, yet it is now a model for development. Tumi Makgabo- former CNN anchor, moderator at the meetings There is no single issue that I can point out. Whatever was discussed is vital and can help transform the continent. We need infrastructure development, gender equity, integration, resource management, among others. We have to find a way to tackle all these issues at the same time to avoid future regrets. There, however, seems to be a disconnect between the ideas and what people desire. The Africa I want: I want an Africa that works for its people, an Africa that addresses the education and healthcare needs of the people. I want an Africa that focuses on building viable economies. James Sano - EWSA Deputy Director-General Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental right that has to be given priority because it helps improve the quality of life. There were experiences shared from countries in North Africa on how to reduce the cost of construction of large water supply infrastructure that provide safe water to many people. There were policies raised that, once implemented, will enable African countries make the most out of their water resources. In Rwanda, if we go the same route, we will definitely achieve 100 per cent access to water services. The Africa I want: Access to water at house hold level. John Ojwolo- Environment Conservationist - Kenya The dominant topic in my opinion was integration. With this, we will have free movement of people across the continent and this will ease the cost of doing business. Security and stability was also emphasised as a crucial aspect if the continent is to be transformed. Climate change and the environmental impact of our increasing industrialisation is yet another issue that attracted attention. The Africa I want: An Africa that is poverty free, where citizens have improved quality of life and live with dignity. Usha Mehta: Entrepreneur in Green Energy- Rwanda For me it goes down to the improvement in the quality of life. This involves building capacity for the youth to make the most out of existing opportunities and access to finance for small and medium entrepreneurs. This conference brought together Africa Development Bank member countries to discuss ways of improving the livelihood of their citizens.Regional partnership will make it easy to achieve this ambition since pooling together resources increases opportunities. The Africa I want: An Africa with opportunities for all. Thomas Laryea- Ghanaian observer The key issue was the importance of leadership in governance as a key aspect in driving countries and regions forward. Many of the current leaders are not giving the youth a good example. Africa, therefore, needs leadership worth emulating. We also should be concerned about the education gap in relation to other continents. It is important that we offer to our youth high levels of education to fill the leadership gap. The Africa I want: I want an Africa that has reform-minded leaders. Selamawit Abebe- Programme officer UNECA–Ethiopia We should take seriously the issues of gender and youth unemployment that were brought forth and discussed in various panel discussions and debates. There was also the issue of the transport corridor, that is being finalised and will serve Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. Such initiatives are good and will increase intra-African trade and lead to the growth of Small and Medium enterprises which will highly benefit women and the youth. Intra-regional trade reduces the chances of conflict between countries. Trade will reduce youth unemployment and encourage women empowerment. Infrastructure development is important to achieve all this. The Africa we want will not materialise if leaders do not go ahead to implement the resolutions agreed upon. The Africa I want: An Africa where more than 50 per cent of presidents are women. An all inclusive continent that is concerned with the affairs of women, children, youth and the less fortunate members of society.

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AfDB meet: What the delegates said