The Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) scheduled to take place in Ghana on the Akuapim Hills from Thursday, 25 to Saturday 27 January 2024, will have as its overarching focus, the need to propose concrete measures which will lead to realizing the prosperity of the African continent.
The APD, organized in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat — situated in the capital city of Ghana, Accra, will also seek to emphasize the unique opportunity the AfCFTA offers the continent and her people; to break free from the widespread poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment the continent is associated with.
These objectives, together with several others, came to the fore when officials of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), organizers of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD), and those of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat, briefed the Press in Ghana, today, (15 January) ahead of the 2024 Dialogues at the AfCFTA conference room, Africa Trade house.
Big push
Addressing members of the media at the briefing, Gabby Otchere-Darko, founder and executive chairman of APN said the APD is an instrument that is to be used to push the implementation of the AfCFTA to achieve the unnegotiable need for Africa’s economic integration which will lead to the shared prosperity of the African continent.
If the AfCFTA is going to work, there must be a big push within the first 10 years (first decade) of the agreement coming into force, that is between 2021 and 2031, because if we can’t get it right now, we will never get it right” Mr Otchere-Darko said.
He observed that AfCFTA is the biggest project since the formation of the Organization of African Union (now African Union, AU) and the idea of a single market is about the economy and the drivers of the economy are the private sector.
To this end, he pointed out that it was important to find a way to let the private sector on the continent own AfCFTA and to drive it. For this to happen, Mr Otchere-Darko said it ought to be done in partnership with the political leadership on the continent and that is what the APD aims to achieve.
He further stressed the important role the media is expected to play in the private sector and political leaders’ partnership envisaged by the APD to materialize. He urged the media to take a keen interest in the APD and use their various platforms to promote the agenda of the AfCFTA and the outcomes of the 2024 APD.
AfCFTA – APD partnership
Chief of Staff at the AfCFTA secretariat Silver Ojakol, speaking on behave of the Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, noted that the AfCFTA secretariat considers the APD, a vital component, and source of generating policy implementation initiatives that will help drive the objectives of the AfCFTA area.
He described the AfCFTA as a highway through which countries on the African continent can connect effectively with each other to unravel the full potential of the continent. He indicated that AfCFTA is looking forward to the rich proposals that will be made at the APD 2024 which will be fully embraced by the secretariat for implementation.
Transforming Africa’s fortunes
Dr Eugene Owusu, a member of the Advisory Council of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) in his remarks identified four important areas that the African continent will have to focus on to transform its fortunes.
The first he said is the quest to define a new positive narrative, owned by the Continent and its people. He explained that for far too long, Africans have been defined by what others see in them, and not by what they see in themselves.
“As a people, sometimes we get too bogged down and are defined by the challenges that confront us. This is not right, and certainly, this is not progressive.
“Poverty and underdevelopment cannot be our narrative. Although we may have a lot of poor people on this continent, Africa is not a poor continent,” Dr Eugene Owusu said.
“We are too rich to be poor! So, we must define our narrative – one that inspires hope, and self-confidence, and one that speaks to our human dignity, Dr Eugene Owusu added.
Africa, according to Mr Owusu, must also be deliberate and work with Pentecostal conviction to transform its development misfortunes, focus on the cardinal importance of deepening intra-African trade, scale up our production of goods and services, add value to what we produce, and frontally address the obstacles to deeper intra African trade.
APD 2024 thematic areas
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Africa Prosperity Network, Njack Kane, shared the major thematic areas that will form the main subjects that will be discussed by the multiple panels participating in the 2024 dialogues.
The thematic areas he said will be agriculture and food sovereignty, natural resources and value addition, infrastructure and Information Communication Technology (ICT), and finance and investments.
Motivation for APD 2024
Gayheart Mensah, a member of the board of directors of the APN, in his overview on why the APD 2024 is themed; “Delivering Prosperity in Africa: Produce, Add Value, Trade,” said Africa is a continent rich in natural resources and human capital and has large deposits of diamonds, iron, oil, natural gas, gold, uranium, copper and cobalt, about 30% of the world’s mineral reserves.
The continent, he says also has, 12% oil and 8% of natural gas reserves, immense potential for hydroelectric power, solar energy, and geothermal energy. It has a vast amount of arable land, water, minerals, forests, and wildlife 2, over 1.4 billion people, making it the second most populous continent after Asia.
West, East, Central, and Southern Africa will reach a $29 trillion combined GDP by 2050 and the continent is expected to reach nearly 2.5 billion inhabitants by 2050.
Despite these vast resources in Africa, there is widespread poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment. Over 40% of the population lives below the international poverty line and yet the continent’s potential for growth and development is immense.
“There is much to be optimistic about. The irony of a continent deprived and poor amid richness and potential is what berthed the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) and its flagship programme, the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD).
“Delivering Prosperity in Africa: Produce, Add Value, Trade will require investment in infrastructure, injection of capital into production, innovation, removal of trade barriers, and a pan-continental legal and regulatory regime that will enhance intra-African trade. Africa’s political leaders and the private sector have no choice but to sit and dialogue, if this aspiration is to become a reality,” Mr Mensah said.
“A lot more production and value-addition within the continent would generate jobs, create wealth, stimulate economic growth in Africa, and deliver prosperity dividends. It will improve the competitiveness of Africa in global trade, expand our markets and increase in-flows. This is the reason why Africa must learn to work together, particularly our politicians and businessmen.
“We must collaborate across borders and sectors, and create the environment that allows us to produce, add value, and trade among ourselves. We must invest in our people and our infrastructure for sustainable economic growth and development. Above all, we must embrace dialogue, innovation, and creativity to unlock the full potential of the African economy and create prosperity for the people of Africa” Gayheart Mensah added.
