MINISTER for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Dr Stergomena Tax has urged Africans to make use of vast economic opportunities and promote trade so as to achieve the aspirations of Agenda 2063.
Dr Tax made the call at the special occasion to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Organisation of the African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU) held on 25th May 2023 in Dar es Salaam.
She said in terms of geographic area Africa is the second largest continent, and the most populous continent with 1.2 billion people. She said the continent offers many opportunities, which if used effectively will enable Africans achieve aspirations of Agenda 2063.
“Being the second largest continent by a geographic area, and the most populous continent, with 1.2 billion people, Africa offers many opportunities. I’m here to challenge my fellow Africans to grab the available opportunities in trade and investment,” she urged.
She said as Africans celebrate 60 years of African Union it is necessary to reflect on this year’s African Union theme ‘Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation’.
The minister said AfCFTA is an important tool that will promote, and significantly boost intra-African trade across all sectors of Africa economies as well as a significant milestone on the journey to African integration and development, adding that trade facilitation depends on both soft and hard infrastructure.
She also challenged AU member states to continue mainstreaming continental industrialisation policy and infrastructure development plan into national laws and development programmes with a view to accelerating the implementation of AfCFTA and as such economic integration.
She also mentioned some of the challenges facing Africa as including undemocratic change of governments, armed conflicts, climate change, poverty and unemployment, adding that African leaders need to intensify their joint efforts and devise smart collective strategies and measures to overcome them.
Earlier speaking at the event the Ambassador of the Union of Comoros to Tanzania El Badaoui Mohamed Fakih highlighted four areas of focus of profound and substantial achievements that the continental organisation has reached in the last few years.
Mr Fakih, who is also the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, said it is crucial for Africans to focus on improving peace and security, working on health sovereignty as well as fostering African inter trade.
“Another area that needs much attention is investing in human capital that will help in improving the economies of Africans themselves,” he said.
