On Thursday, Africans celebrated 25 May, 1963 that marks the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which later became the African Union (AU). The day marks a time to commemorate the struggles and victories of the Africans in their quest for freedom, independence, and unity.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, at the occasion of the public lecture on the 60th anniversary of AU in Windhoek, said Africans should take advantage of its youthful population to turn the tables for the better.
"We must pick up a strong political will, commitment, and determination for Africa to become a force to reckon with in the world economic agenda. We have the people, we have the natural resources, we just need the right mind, good governance and focus to take the people of Africa out of poverty," urged Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The day was celebrated under the theme, 'Our Africa, Our Future' which the deputy prime minister noted speaks to the need to pay special attention to the welfare and wellbeing of Africans, and to transform collective potential for the greater good of the continent.
She further noted special focus should be given to the continent's youthful population to empower it with the necessary tools and create a conducive environment.
This year's Africa Day theme builds on the 2023 AU theme on accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which has tremendous potential to lift Africans out of poverty and to bring about a prosperous continent for the benefit of its people.
The objective of the AfCFTA is the elimination or reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers amongst the 54 countries that agreed to be members of the free trade bloc. The AfCFTA establishes a single market for goods and services, facilitated by the free movement of persons in order to deepen the economic integration and prosperity of the African continent. To date, 54 AU member states signed the agreement establishing AfCFTA.
"We therefore, call on our business people and more importantly our young entrepreneurs to familiarise themselves with the AfCFTA and take advantage of it. Thus far, under the Phase I negotiations, 46 countries have submitted their tariff offers with regard to Trade in Goods, while the Rules of Origin is at 87.7% completion rate. With regard to Trade in Services, 47 States and Non-Parties, including Namibia, have submitted their initial offers in the five priority service sectors such as business, communication, financial, tourism, and transport service sectors," she stated.
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Nandi-Ndaitwah insisted that African countries must diversify and reduce reliance on primary commodities. To achieve this objective, she said African countries need to focus on developing their manufacturing industries and value chains, promote innovation and technology transfer while supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in entering new markets.
Moreover, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani weighed in and concurred that Africa has the youngest population in the world, with over 60% of its population under the age of 25.
"This presents a unique opportunity for the continent to harness the energy and creativity of its youth to build a prosperous and sustainable future. Much more needs to be done to unlock the full potential of Africa's young people. To achieve this, we must invest in education, skills development, and job creation for young people," he stated.
Venaani added that Africa must also create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and innovation, including access to finance and supportive policies and regulations. Furthermore, he urged Africa to ensure that young people are actively involved in decision-making processes that affect their lives and the future of the continent.
