Addis Ababa: The Chairperson of the African Union, Joo Louren§o, on Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, instructed the organization’s Commission to pay special attention to infrastructure and to outline a strategy to mobilize international partners interested in making mutually beneficial investments.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Joo Louren§o emphasized that infrastructure is a crucial component of the AU’s Agenda 2063. He highlighted the need to mobilize substantial financial resources to fulfill the objectives set in various sectors, including technological innovation, food security, and energy transition.
Louren§o urged the AU Commission to coordinate with Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms to organize a major continental conference on infrastructure in Africa within the year. This conference aims to communicate the importance and advantages of financing and investing in interconnection infrastructure across the continent to key cooperation partners.
He stated that the conference would allow partners to engage directly in Africa’s growth and development process, thereby contributing to justice for Africans and people of African descent. He underscored the priority of investing in infrastructure such as roads, railways, ports, airports, and electricity transmission lines to ensure energy distribution from surplus to deficit areas.
The AU Chairperson advocated for a collaborative approach to developing a new international financial framework, positioning Africa as an active and significant player in the global economy rather than a marginal one. Louren§o stressed the importance of attending the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, with a clear agenda for securing fairer access to financial resources to advance Africa’s socio-economic development.
During the inauguration, Commissioners Moses Vilakati, Lerato D. Mataboge, Bankole Adeoye, and Amma A. Twum-Amoah were sworn in to oversee various sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure, and social development. However, due to a lack of candidates, the election of Commissioners for Economic Development and Education has been postponed until April, with applications restricted to individuals from the continent’s central region.