United Nations Economic Commission for Africa - Eastern Africa

New report reveals how Covid-19 has affected Eastern Africa

sroea.editor — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:35:33 +0000

Kigali 25 November 2020 - When the Covid-19 pandemic sent the global economy into a recession, the East Africa region was not spared. According to UN Economic Commission for Africa’s Economic and Social Impacts of Covid-19 in Eastern Africa report, the region’s labour market has been the worst hit on the continent, with an estimated 38 million jobs lost.

Presenting the report during the 24^thMeeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts, Ms Mama Keita, head of ECA in Eastern Africa, said that the region will barely grow in 2020 with only four countries on track to experience positive growth in 2020. South Sudan leads with 4.1 per cent GDP growth, followed by Ethiopia and Tanzania with close to 2 per cent and Kenya with 1 per cent.

Eastern Africa’s growth will slow down considerably to 0.6pec cent in 2020 from 6.6 per cent in 2019

Ms Keita has stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic amplified debt vulnerabilities in the region. “Before the crisis, there were five countries with debt-to-GDP ratios exceeding 50 per cent in 2019 (Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Seychelles). Now, the pandemic has increased the likelihood for this problem to worsen in the region and spread to more countries”, she said.

On the social side, Ms Keita explained that even though Eastern Africa has a lower incidence of COVID-19 cases compared to the rest of Africa, most countries present critical gaps in the their national health systems.

The report she presented notes that in terms of the financing of the health system, as well as its quality and adequacy, East Africa was unfortunately ill-prepared for a pandemic. “Most of the Eastern African countries spend less than USD50 per capita on health, which is less than half of the African average which is of 114 USD per capita per year (2017 data)..

The report highlights that the right balance and sequence between health and economic and social policy interventions continues to be critical. It also stresses the impact of COVID-19 on education, leading to school closures that affected 96 million learners in Eastern Africa. Ms Keita said that while many governments have introduced remote teaching strategies, access to technologies such as the internet, television, and radio is limited in low-income countries, especially among poorest households.

The report urges policymakers in Africa to harness digitalisation and digital trade as the pandemic has highlighted the importance of the digital economy. “Firms, employees and students with access to digital infrastructure have not been as economically affected by the pandemic as those with no access”.

Note to the editor

The report analysed 14 following countries covered by ECA the Subregional Office for Eastern Africa: Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Click here to read : The abridged version of the Economic and social Impacts of Covid-19 in Eastern Africa report

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

East Africa’s Policymakers call for better coordination to build back better and more sustainably

sroea.editor — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 20:01:18 +0000

Kigali 24 November 2020 (ECA) - Policymakers from 14 countries of Eastern Africa kicked off their regional meeting known as 24^th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) this Tuesday with a call to chart a way forward as Covid-19 pandemic compelled this year’s gathering to be virtual.

The two-day meeting was convened by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its office for Eastern Africa under the theme: Economic and Social Impacts of the Covid-19 Crisis on Eastern Africa: Strategies for Building-Back-Better.

Ms Mama Keita, Director of ECA in Eastern Africa explained that senior officials and experts come together annually to discuss the progress, opportunities and challenges of their region in order to chart jointly a way forward and foster structural transformation and sustainable development.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Mr Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea commended ECA for organizing the e-gathering, saying that the pandemic has become the biggest challenge of recent times confronting the ideals of humanity.

Minister Saleh said that in Eastern Africa, the pandemic has been coupled with locust invasion and flooding with significant effect to development and people’s livelihood.

“Nevertheless, countries in our region were among the very first countries to take aggressive measures against COVID-19 through mandatory quarantine and have tackled the pandemic and its effects by mobilizing national capacities and stimulus packages wherever possible, in the interest of social protection and macro-economic recovery” stressed the Minister.

The pandemic, which has claimed close to 1.4 million lives worldwide, has also caused significant social and economic distress as most of the income-generating activities were shut down to save human lives.

“Looking at the medium and long-term horizon of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to discuss opportunities, interventions and priorities touching on post-COVID-19 recovery phase to build resilience and sustainability”, said the East Africa’ Community Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko .

Mfumukeko added that policymakers have learnt that strong multisectoral approach with a strong coordination mechanism is important for the success of the regional response.

The need for resilient economies on the continent

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s Acting Director-General, Ms Nnenna Nwabufo, stressed also the importance of regional coordination and collaboration to contain cross border transmissions and to strengthen surveillance systems in her address.

She further emphasized the need to improve Africa's business environment to facilitate the participation of local and foreign private sector as well as investors to accelerate Africa's industrialization and integration process and create the needed jobs for the growing young people on the continent. “This will strengthen Africa’s resilience and bring the trajectory of our economies back better and faster”

The Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), Mr Vêlayoudom Marimoutou, and a Representative of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) joined the discussion of the first day of the meeting. They respectively stressed the need to diversify the economies for more resilience, and the need to pay particular attention to capacity gaps in the process of building back better our economies.

Participants at the virtual meeting include Representatives of youth and women groups, from Regional Economic Communities, civil society, private sector associations, academia and media.

Government officials from the following 14 countries are also attending: Burundi, Comores, RD Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

A Regional meeting to discuss the post-pandemic road to social and economic recovery in East Africa

sroea.editor — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 13:11:08 +0000

Kigali, 15 November 2020 (ECA) -In this difficult context of global socioeconomic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, through its office for Eastern Africa will convene its 24^th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) to discuss the Economic and Social Impacts of the Covid-19 Crisis on Eastern Africa and Strategies for Building-Back-Better.

The 24th session of ICSOE is scheduled to take place virtually from 24 to 25 November 2020 and will be preceded by a one-day Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the Blue Economy valuation approaches that will take place on 23 November.

The ICSOE is a regional meeting held annually to discuss key issues and challenges pertaining to the economic and social development of the sub-region with the view to making appropriate recommendations to address them. The principle that guides the ICSOE discussions is that countries of the same region must determine their transformative agenda and strengthen their partnerships and cooperation to sustain regional integration and accelerate the pace of economic development. It is organised by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) through its Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA)

The subregional office for Eastern Africa serves 14 countries: Burundi, Comores, RD Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Senior Government Officials of the above-mentioned fourteen member States served by the office as well as Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) of the sub-region, development partners, research centres, media practitioners, private sector and civil society organisations and seasoned experts of Regional Integration.

For any further information:

Please visit the ICSOE website: https://www.uneca.org/ea-icsoe24
or contact ECA SRO-EA communication Officer: Mr. Didier Habimana; email: habimanad@un.org

Bioeconomy offers the opportunity to create many jobs in East Africa

sroea.editor — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:56:50 +0000

Kigali, Rwanda 28 October 2020 (ECA) - Many policymakers and businesses have been calling a green recovery and a “Build Back Better” strategy in the post-covid-19 era to limit the impact of future pandemics and crises such as climate change.

Experts stress that moving our economies towards a bio-based economy offers opportunities for countries to rebuild their economies in an environmentally and socially inclusive manner.

It is in this line, BioInnovate Africa Programme in collaboration with the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) organised the first Eastern Africa Bioeconomy Conference last week under the theme: ‘Bioeconomy growth prospects for Eastern Africa’.

In simple terms, a bio-economy is the use of bio-based resources to produce various products in our economy such as fuels, chemicals, plastics, fabrics etc.

Mama Keita, Director of UN Economic Commission (ECA) for Africa in Eastern Africa told the participants at the meeting that “Bioeconomy is knowledge-intensive and not well-known by neither the general public nor by decision makers. "The States and their partners have an important role to play to overcome these challenges. They need to demonstrate the benefits of the bioeconomy to all stakeholders intervening on both sides of the goods and services generated by the bioeconomy" she stressed..

On the demand side, the consumers need to be informed about all the gains that they can derive from these, while on the supply side, the entrepreneurs, SMEs and the private sector as a whole must be informed about the profitability of the related activities. Besides, the academia and the civil society must be involved through inclusive deliberate efforts” she explained.

Ms Keita noted that the bioeconomy offers the opportunity to contribute to the much needed job creation in East Africa, in addition to producing goods and services that will improve people’s wellbeing and health as well as the environmental settings. She also highlighted that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), soon to be implemented, will offer a huge market opportunity for bioeconomy to flourish.

Participants at the virtual meeting discussed strategies for sustainable bio-economy development in Africa and how to create bio-based investment opportunities in the region.

Ahmedin Mohammed, State Minister at Ministry of Innovation and Technology in Ethiopia who also attended the meeting said that bioeconomy offers an opportunity for countries with agriculture as their principal base because the portion of biobased feedstocks come from the agricultural sector. He emphasized the need to embed bioeconomy into national policies that address other important issues such as food and Nutritional security.

Participants also discussed how bioeconomy could address environmental, societal and economic challenges in East Africa. The meeting was attended by government officials, scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, economists and civil society actors.

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

ECA and Partners discuss conducive Energy Regulatory Environment to attract investment

sroea.editor — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 10:28:56 +0000

Kigali, 16 October 2020 (ECA) – The Energy sector experts from the government of Rwanda, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the RES4Africa Foundation held a virtual meeting to discuss the Rwanda Energy Policy and Regulation related to attracting the participation of the Private Sector.

At the opening of the meeting, Ms Mama Keita, Director of ECA in Eastern Africa stressed the importance of the energy sector to boost development across Africa, stating that investment in energy infrastructure at both the national and regional levels is required for future economic growth and prosperity on the continent.

Keita reminded the participants how reliable and affordable power supply is required for African firms to produce goods and services in a competitive way, for exchange within the continent to take advantage of the AfCFTA.

The meeting which validated regulatory data gathered for the electricity sector of Rwanda was organised by the Energy, Infrastructure and Services Section (EISS) of the ECA.

Mr Yohannes Hailu, Economic Affairs Officer at the ECA, explained that the meeting is part of a continental effort to address regulatory barriers to private sector participation in the energy sector. He stated that based on the validated data, completion of the Rwanda country assessment report is expected to provide valuable input towards further regulatory improvements in Rwanda, complementing advances already made, in support of the growth of the energy industry through private sector participation.

Hailu further highlighted that the regulatory review work currently being carried out across Africa is part of the ECA Executive Secretary’s initiative under the SDG7 Finance Initiative, which seeks to strengthen the sector’s governance to crowd-in investment in the energy sector. SDG 7 goal seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.

Similar validation meetings have been held with experts in Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa and Zambia, in July and August 2020. The second phase of the regulatory review work is currently on-going in Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Senegal and Seychelles.

Africa needs to strengthen its regulatory environment in the energy sector to facilitate effective private sector participation and help close its energy infrastructure gap, increase competitiveness and attain inclusive and sustainable development.

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

24th session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts

Minilik.Demissie — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 13:25:18 +0000

The Economic and Social Impacts of the Covid-19 Crisis on Eastern Africa: Strategies for Building-Back-Better

24 November 2020 to 25 November 2020

Online

The Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICE) meeting is the statutory organ of the ECA Office for Eastern Africa. The meeting is organized annually to discuss key issues pertaining to the economic and social development of region with the view to making appropriate recommendations to address them.

The principle that guides the ICE discussions is that countries of the same region must determine their transformative agenda.The meeting attracts several officials including rrepresentatives governments; various regional, sub-regional and national development focused organisations, experts representing the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), civil society organizations as well as the representatives of the United Nations system and members of the press. Deliberate efforts are also made to bring in women and youth participation.

The theme for 2020 ICE is: The Economic and Social Impacts of the Covid-19 Crisis on Eastern Africa: Strategies for Building-Back-Better and will be held virtually.

Prior to the event, please complete your registration in this online form.

The bilingual event will be hosted virtually on the Kudo platform. To join the meeting on Monday, please use the link below.

Day 1 - 24 November 2020

To join as PARTICIPANT: https://live.kudoway.eu/ad/220215398327

To join as VIEWER (BROADCAST MEETING): https://live.kudoway.eu/br/110215763470

Day 2 - 25 November 2020

To join as PARTICIPANT: https://live.kudoway.eu/ad/220215046800

To join as VIEWER (BROADCAST MEETING): https://live.kudoway.eu/br/110213610148

To access pre-reading materials, including the draft papers that will be discussed, please use this link to the event page: https://www.uneca.org/ea-icsoe24/pages/documents

The last seven ICSOEs were held as follows:

- 2019 in Eritrea : "Leveraging New Opportunities for Regional Integration in Eastern Africa"

- 2018 in Rwanda : “Implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area in Eastern Africa: From Vision to Action”

- 2017 in Comoros : “Accelerating Structural Transformation in Eastern Africa: Catalysts and Constraints”

- 2016 in Kenya on “Institutions, Decentralizations and Structural Transformation in Eastern Africa”

- 2015 in Madagascar on “Harnessing the Blue Economy for the Development of Eastern Africa”

- 2014 in D.R. Congo on “National Champions, Foreign Direct Investment and Structural Transformation in Eastern Africa”

- 2013 in Uganda on “Energy Access and Security in Eastern Africa”

Why women entrepreneurs should not be left behind in building back our economies

sroea.editor — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 10:27:45 +0000

Kigali, 20 August (ECA) - Women in business have a big role to play in a post-COVID 19 Africa and could significantly reduce the continent’s high dependence on imports of essential food, medical and pharmaceutical items, said UN Economic Commission for Africa's Mama Keita in a virtual meeting organized by the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes.

The regional virtual dialogue made a call to address the economic and social challenges met by women and girls as a result of COVID 19 pandemic, with a focus on Economic Empowerment of Women and their Effective Participation in Peacebuilding in the Great Lakes region

Ms Keita, the Director of ECA in Eastern Africa, presented the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 in the Great Lakes Region emphasizing how reduced economic activities stemming from lockdowns, curfew as well as disruption in international trade affected the region. She appealed for innovative policies and initiatives that could make a difference for women.

“As we are building back our economies after COVID and are seeking to turn vulnerabilities into opportunities, let us recall that intra-Africa trade is still very low at less than 20 per cent and that Women entrepreneurs have a big role to play in boosting this, said Ms Keita.

Mr Huang Xia, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the region also acknowledged the disproportionate and negative impact of the pandemic on women and girls, especially in the economic sphere, and stressed the need to place women at the centre of all response initiatives.

The role of women entrepreneurs was also highlighted by Clare Akamanzi, CEO of Rwanda Development Board. She underlined that empowering women is a pathway for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms Akamanzi explained how women with sound and innovative business projects in Rwanda are supported to acquire startup capital in financial institutions through Guarantee and Grant facilities.

“Today, [in Rwanda], women entrepreneurs head more than 42 per cent of enterprises. They contribute 78 per cent in cross border trade, and Cross border trade contributes 30 per cent to GDP”, explained Akamanzi.

Participants at the e-meeting discussed the ability of women to be agents of change for socio-economic transformation, affirming that when we bolster the economic development of women, the welfare of their families is also affected.

The meeting was held held on 28 July and attracted remarkable women entrepreneurs from East Africa, government and UN officials as well as representatives of Regional Economic Communities.

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

COVID-19 remains an impediment to regional trade; Kenya pushes ahead

sroea.editor — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 13:45:41 +0000

22 July 2020 (ECA) - At a time when global trade seems so uncertain because of COVID-19 pandemic crisis, a recent paper strikingly highlights that Kenya experienced a significant improvement in exports in early months of 2020 together with the moderation of imports, leading to a marked decline in the trade deficit.

The paper published by Brookings and written by Andrew Mold, Senior Economist at UN Economic Commission for Africa and Anthony Mveyange Director of Research at TradeMark East Africa used Kenyan trade data published up through May 2020 to provide a preliminary evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on regional trade in the East African Community (EAC).

According to the paper, the curfews, lockdowns, and cross-border disputes linked to the crisis provoked a sharp decline in intra-regional trade, with a dramatic fall in Kenyan exports to Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. These trends are worrisome because Kenya is the major exporter and importer of the East African Community (EAC), accounting for around 46 per cent of exports and 41 per cent of imports for the whole region.

Recent trade evidence from East Africa

Kenyan textile exports to the United States and flowers and shipments of vegetables to the European Union were severely affected, largely due to both suspensions of international flights and the collapse of demand in target markets.

The paper notes, however, that despite these disruptions, not all supply chains were affected. Kenyan tea exports peaked at just under 58,000 tonnes in April – a record high. Similarly, the volume of fruit exports surpassed the level reached during the 2019 season. Most of these products were shipped to countries like Egypt, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the U.K.

Data from Ugandan authorities reveal that informal trade collapsed in April 2020, as cross-border small-scale trading was prohibited. Border communities are highly dependent on this trade, and the closure of the frontiers has entailed additional hardship in these communities.

Coordinated intra-regional trade is critical

Another important theme highlighted in the paper is the necessity of a coordinated EAC-wide approach for intra-regional trade in these challenging times, ensuring that countries in the region are cushioned from the COVID-19 crisis fallout.

The paper stresses that the urgency of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is even more palpable. Its rapid implementation, accompanied by additional trade facilitation measures, could significantly mitigate COVID-19's negative impact on the continent’s economy.

The paper also praised Kenya and Rwanda’s strategies to retool its passenger aircraft for cargo. Rwandair cargo (imports and exports) increased from $57 million in April to $134 million by May 2020.

Whereas in May 2019, just 18 per cent of Rwandan exports were shipped by air, by May 2020 that figure had reached 73 per cent.

The paper also calls for policymakers to implement safety measures such as controls and surveillance on trade in a way that does not unduly affect the flow of trade.

Challenges to the recognition of COVID-19 certificates for truck drivers should also be addressed, aiming at speeding up port and border clearance procedures in East Africa.

Read the paper from :

https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-impact-of-the-covid-19-crisis-on-...

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

COVID-19 is fuelling acceleration in digital transformation in Africa

sroea.editor — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 12:35:38 +0000

Kigali, Rwanda, 19 July 2020 (ECA) - The world is increasingly going digital but much still need to be done on the continent to increase internet penetration. According to the International Telecommunication Union, in 2019 only 28 per cent of Africans used the internet and online shoppers are relatively still few.

Experts say that in the wake of COVID-19, there is an urgent need for African enterprises to digitalize and tap into enormous opportunities offered by e-commerce.

For example, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa are the only countries where the share of online shoppers exceeds 8 per cent. In most other countries, it is below 5 per cent.

Ms Mama Keita, Director of UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Eastern Africa says that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we do business, and this should be an accelerator for digital transformation. Sectors like education, health, trade, food delivery, events and conferencing experienced unprecedented demand for technology.

Ms Keita was speaking in a virtual dialogue on how women digital entrepreneurs are contributing to the region's digital transformation. She stressed how COVID-19 crisis and containment measures have upended almost every aspect of life, affecting big and small enterprises, disrupting supply chains, causing the decline of export revenues and interrupting the tourism, transport and logistic sectors significantly.

Ms Keita who explained the Socioeconomic Effects of the pandemic in Africa said that Africa’s projected GDP growth of 3.2 per cent for 2020 is now expected to be a sharp contraction. She, however, noted that East Africa’s economic growth, although highly impacted too, is expected to remain the largest in Africa. “COVID-19 pandemic should be used as a game-changer. It should serve as a wakeup call underscoring the urgency to turn Africa’s structural vulnerabilities into opportunities” she noted.

Ms Keita said that the overreliance on imports from the Rest of the World of essential goods such as medical, pharmaceutical and food items, should be reduced considerably and gradually be replaced with local production. “This a great occasion to promote industrialization and structural transformation”.

She recalled the urgency of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). “The rapid implementation of the agreement could fast-track the industrial development of the continent and render it more resilient to shocks such as the COVID 19 pandemic” said Ms Keita, adding that digital transformation has a significant role to play in this process, just as digital solutions are helping mitigate the impacts of COVID at the moment.

Also speaking at the event, Ms Clarisse Ilibagiza, entrepreneur and founder of HEHE Ltd, a company that develops mobile technologies in Rwanda spoke on the necessity to build a conducive business environment. She called for policymakers to ensure that women entrepreneurs are supported and can build both the network and resilience they need to thrive in the digital economy in a post-coronavirus context.

The online dialogue event was organized by UNCTAD and provided a platform for women founders of digital businesses from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, to reflect the dynamism and variety of the digital landscape in the region.

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Africa should eye strategies to reduce import dependency of essential goods

sroea.editor — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 11:29:21 +0000

Kigali, Rwanda – 2 July 2020 (ECA) - Africa has been battling to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and to address its impacts but the socioeconomic hardship suffered is significant.

The continent has experienced a severe economic contraction of at least 2.6 per cent which comes in contrasts to the growth rate of 3.2 per cent that was forecast for 2020 before the crisis.

According to Ms Mama Keita, Director of ECA in Eastern Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our normal way of doing things but all is not dark as the crisis has created unusual opportunity, exposing that heavy reliance on imports of essential goods in sensitive areas such as medical, nutritional and pharmaceutical, is not a sustainable solution for Africa.

Ms Keita made the remarks while speaking during a Digital Forum organize by “La Tribune Afrique” that focused on preparing the next world.

Asked about the potential of the AfCFTA as part of the solution to Africa’s development in the aftermath of the crisis, Ms Keita said that the current crisis proved that Africa’s private sector, if supported, could enhance its productive capacities and supply quality goods.

“In times of necessity to acquire some products during the world that was confined, the "Made in Africa" products were valued and the private sector was compelled to use innovation and creativity to supply their local markets” explained Mama, citing the production of facemasks that occurred in many countries as an example.

Ms Keita stressed that Africa has less than 2 hospital beds per 1000 people, the bulk of its pharmaceutical needs are sourced from outside the continent, and the situation is similar as far as foodstuff such as cereals is concerned. Yet the continent’s private sector could fill these gaps if provided with adequate support.

“Governments should continue to express trust to their private sectors, just like they are trusting them at the moment with the production of masks, test kits, personal protective equipment, ventilators,” affirmed Ms Keita.

In order to be encouraged to produce and sell on the AfCFTA market, Ms Keita argues that the private sector will need to be ascertained that the demand for their products exists. “The public sector could play a major role in that regards”.

ECA has been arguing that higher level of industrial development and intra-African trade would drive the economic transformation of the continent through value-chain development, and this would reduce Africa’s dependence on commodities and generate the jobs needed. AfCFTA could be an engine to promote that industrialization, if the private sector, starts transforming locally the huge natural resources that the continent is endowed with.

At the same digital platform, Mr Romuald Wadagni, Minister for the Economy of Benin pleaded for more integrated and open Africa saying that the fragmentation of countries is a brake to our development. He made a strong plea for a more integrated financial market in Africa, which would allow the reduction of interest rates, very high at the moment and which is compromising the development prospects of the continent.

The Digital platform also hosted Mr Abdoul Aziz Mbaye, State Minister and Personal Advisor to the President Macky Sall of Senegal. He commended that in the face of the crisis, Africa is standing more resilient than some advanced countries; he said that fragility is different from fatality, and expressed confidence that the continent will be strong enough to pursue its development trajectory after the crisis.

Panellists at the Digital Platform discussed also the importance of the governments in raising the necessary awareness among the youth entrepreneurs, which could result in moving most of them from the informal sector to formal work.

About 15 million youth enter the workforce market every year, yet only 3-4 million formal jobs are created.

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)