African Nations Urged to Boost Domestic Resource Mobilization for Progress

Addis Ababa, April 2, 2025 (ENA) --- African nations need to enhance their efforts in mobilizing domestic resources to improve the continent's trajectory, according to Botho Kebabonye Bayendi, Director of Strategic Planning and Delivery at the African Union.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Botho Kebabonye Bayendi said that the first ten years of Agenda 2063 can be characterized as a decade of convergence of ideas and actions despite many challenges.

She emphasized that the first ten years of Agenda 2063 have recorded significant achievements in both the economic and political spheres, although much remains to be done in the coming decades.

Bayendi acknowledged that climate shocks and the COVID-19 pandemic have slowed the implementation of the agenda, but she noted that African nations have developed resilience in overcoming these challenges.

In the second ten-year plan of Agenda 2063, emphasis has been given to strike balance between peace and development while urging countries to accelerate the implementation of the agenda.

It also urges African countries to strengthen their political and financial commitment to the plan, while putting in place tools to better measure results and ensure accountability.

In her view, “political will should be demonstrated and not assumed”

She said that the insecurity in some parts of Africa shouldn't overshadow the gains made in maintaining peace on the continent, and that even these crises should be solved from an African perspective, adhering to the principle of “African Solutions to African Problems.”

Accordingly, Bayendi calls on African countries to give due emphasis on the cause of the crisis such as addressing the lingering crisis of inequality and unemployment in the continent.

To this end, she argued that domestic resource mobilization is a crucial step for Africa to move to a better frontier as a continent endowed with abundant resources.

For Africa to have a better representation in the international arena, she said Africa should first “clean its house”, stressing that changing the reality inside Africa is a critical factor in positioning the continent in a good posture outside.

Additionally, she emphasized that altering the negative narrative surrounding Africa is another crucial step that needs to be addressed.

As a result, the director urged African countries to work harder to achieve balanced economic development and growth, and to strengthen cooperation among them.

Ethiopian News Agency
2023