An Africa progress report released on Tuesday called on African leaders to turn the “scramble for Africa” into real results for all of the continents people, while urging African finance ministers to climate proof their economies and invest in women.
“It’s Africa day and 50 years ago, from this year, 17 governments of our African countries won independence, and we are only 17 days away from the World Cup, so this is an important day,” said Kofi Annan, chair of the panel and former secretary-general of the United Nations (UN).
Africa Progress
Annan and other Africa Progress Panel (APP) members presented the Africa Progress Report 2010 in Johannesburg. The panel, including Peter Eigen, Linah Mohohlo and Olusegun Obasanjo, are a group of individuals who want to share their experiences and influence on development on the African continent, Annan said.
Formed in the wake of the Gleneagles G8 Summit and the Commission for Africa Report in 2007, the panel monitors the implementation of Africa’s commitments, while the annual publication analyses the continent’s progress and offers recommendations to African leaders and their international partners.
The lack of transparency throughout Africa’s entire resource system, from how contracts are awarded and monitored, to how taxes and royalties are collected, was highlighted as one of the major stumbling blocks in Africa’s progress.
“While evidence and reliable statistical data sources are thin, it is apparent that inequalities within African countries are increasing and the benefits of economic growth are very unevenly shared,” the report said.
Resources into benefits
The panel called for a more assertive approach from African leaders to translate the continent’s resources into social benefits for its people, noting that “Africans beyond elite circles are not benefiting sufficiently”.
“We call on African leaders to use their armoury of fiscal and social policy instruments to prioritise public goods and services that benefit and create opportunities for all citizens,” Annan said.
Meanwhile former Nigerian president, Obasanjo, warned about corruption. “We need to pay attention to both the receivers and givers of bribes, because mostly these givers are not from Africa.”
Obasanjo, who signed the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Bill into law on 28 May 2007, said there were countries outside of Africa that encouraged corruption on the continent.
“During my administration I caught corrupt companies outside of Nigeria doing business in the country. When I approached the countries where the companies were from, nothing was done to the companies,” he said.
Poor representation
For a continent with over a quarter of the worlds states and a billion people profoundly affected by global dynamics, Africa is under-represented in many formal and informal international processes, including in new fora emerging in the global South, the report said.
Where Africa does have adequate representation, Africa often lacks negotiation capacity and a coordinated position, it added.
“Our request to be appropriately represented calls on us to take our responsibility seriously. We need to speak with one voice and to do our homework,” said Mohohlo, Governor of the Bank of Botswana.
Mohohlo said she was encouraged by the uniformed voice used by African leaders in Copenhagen.
Climate proof economies
The APP called on the continents finance ministers, who are meeting in Cote D’Ivoire for the Annual African Development Bank summit on May 31, to climate proof the continent’s economic growth and development.
“Climate change will increase the cost of attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), whether in food production, health, water, energy, infrastructure, and other areas. It will have disproportionate effects on women and the poor,” the panel said.
The report noted that while more than 70% of Africans depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, agriculture was not realising its potential as a driver of poverty alleviation and economic growth, or its ability to ensure that everyone had access to enough food and a balanced diet.
Instead, Annan noted that “hunger and chronic malnutrition are widespread, and accelerating climate change threatens to reduce productivity further”.
Africa needs to invest in women
The panel urged African policymakers to empower women by enforcing existing conventions, laws and policies.
“Women need to be given greater access to and control of Africa’s resources,” the panel noted.
In sub-Saharan Africa, women produce up to 80% of all basic food products, both for household consumption and for sale.
“Given the key role of women in the agricultural sector, improving their situation, particularly through bettering their access to productive assets and ownership rights, means progress for the sector and for the economy as a whole,” the report added.
The South African Commission for Gender Equality agreed, stating that while it was aware of the “enormous gains” that had been made towards gender equality throughout the continent, it still had not reached the level it had anticipated at the turn of the century.
Future leaders
Also present at the release of the Africa progress report 2010 was Kwasi Adu Berchie, 18, from the African Leadership Academy.
Berchie was one of five students selected to attend the function after winning an essay competition.
The Ghanaian, who dreams of becoming a medical doctor, told the M&G that he continued to have faith in the continent despite its many problems.
“It is not the end of Africa, no matter how bad things are, as long as the leaders are trained well,” he said.