United Nations Economic Commission for Africa - Ideas for a prosperous Africa

ECA and partners conclude interregional workshop on inclusive and shock responsive social protection

minilik.demissie — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 17:19:29 +0000

9 October, 2026

Share this:

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9 October 2026 (ECA) – Government officials and experts concluded a three-day interregional workshop in Addis Ababa focused on translating multidimensional poverty evidence into more inclusive, sustainable and shock-responsive social protection systems. Discussions focused on translating evidence on multidimensional poverty and country experiences into practical reforms to expand coverage, improve coordination, and secure sustainable financing.

Held at the United Nations Conference Centre from 7 to 9 October, the workshop was co-organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), with technical support from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

Participants, including representatives of Member States, emphasized the importance of stronger coordination across institutions and programmes to reduce fragmentation and improve social protection responses, particularly during shocks and crises.

They highlighted Africa’s progress in data availability and statistical capacity, while recognizing remaining gaps. Participants called for better integration of existing data and stronger coordination among data-producing and data-using, so that available evidence can be used more effectively to inform social protection policies and improve their impact.

The programme brought together country experiences and technical perspectives on extending protection to underserved populations, strengthening data systems and securing sustainable financing. Discussions addressed barriers facing women, young people, migrants, persons with disabilities, older persons and informal workers, as well as ways to connect social protection with essential services and livelihood opportunities.

Technical sessions examined social registries, digitalization, data governance and the use of system diagnostics to inform policy reforms. Financing discussions addressed options for sustaining national social protection programmes and strengthening their capacity to respond to changing needs.

A key outcome of the meeting was the joint-review by Member States of the “Guidelines for Operationalizing the Multidimensional Poverty Index for Adaptive Social Protection: A Framework for Action”. The guidelines aim to help countries use evidence on multidimensional poverty to inform better eligibility assessment, prioritization, programme design, service delivery and monitoring.

In her closing remarks, Ms. Zuzana Schwidrowski, Director of ECA’s Socio-Economic Development Division, thanked participants for their substantive contributions. She emphasized that closing coverage gaps requires deliberate attention to excluded groups, including the ‘missing middle’ - people who fall outside poverty-targeted assistance but lack access to social insurance through employment. Illness, unemployment or climate shock can quickly push these households into poverty. She also emphasized that linking income support with skills development, employment services, productive assets and opportunities to start and grow businesses can strengthen livelihoods and contribute to the sustainability of social protection systems.

All co-organizing institutions reiterated their commitment to jointly continue to support Member States through policy analysis, technical assistance, capacity development an regional and inter-regional exchange.

ENDS

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Senegal Vision 2050: Pôle-Sud stakeholders advance shared territorial development strategy

minilik.demissie — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:21:53 +0000

2 October, 2026

Share this:

Ziguinchor, 2 October 2026 (ECA) – The African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), in partnership with the Directorate General of Planning and Economic Policies (DGPPE) of Senegal’s Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, concluded a four-day collaborative workshop in Ziguinchor to refine the regional assessment and establish a territorial development strategy for the Pôle-Sud.

Held from 29 September to 2 October 2026, the workshop convened key regional stakeholders to deepen understanding of local dynamics, consolidate baseline data, and outline strategic directions for the area's development. The initiative is part of IDEP’s broader programme, “Driving Public Policy and SDGs Impact Through Integrated, Agile and Localized Development Planning,” which supports African nations in strengthening national planning systems and execution capacities.

In Senegal, this effort directly supports the country’s Vision 2050, the National Development Strategy 2025–2029, and the Diomaye Plan for the Transformation of Casamance - frameworks that place structural transformation, regional equity, and decentralized public action at the heart of national development.

Covering over 28,430 km² (roughly 14.5% of Senegal’s land area) and home to more than two million people, the Pôle-Sud is a vital economic zone. However, its economic potential remains largely untapped: regional accounts from the ANSD indicate that the area contributed just 9% of national GDP in 2023.

Closing the gap between the Pôle-Sud’s geographic scale and its economic output is central to the upcoming strategy. Key priorities include expanding productive capacity, developing high-potential sectors, strengthening connectivity, boosting investment and employment, and harnessing cross-regional synergies across Ziguinchor, Kolda, and Sédhiou.

Under Senegal Vision 2050, the Government aims to raise annual GDP per capita in the Pôle-Sud to 1.8 million CFA francs (CFAF) and push the employment rate to 40% by 2050—primarily by unlocking the region's agricultural, agro-industrial, logistical, and tourism assets.

The workshop brought together a broad coalition, including regional administration, local governments, development agencies, private sector leaders, civil society groups, UN agencies, central government officials, and academia.

Each group offered distinct contributions: local authorities brought ground-level operational knowledge; administrative services provided sector-specific expertise; business leaders highlighted production constraints and commercial opportunities; research institutions contributed analytical capacity; and civil society ensured focus on social inclusion and community needs.

Souleymane Diallo, Director General of Planning and Economic Policies, highlighted that localizing policy is essential for regional fairness: “Decentralizing public policy is no longer just a technical option—it is a strategic imperative at the core of Vision Senegal 2050,” he noted, adding that the Government is actively designing development plans tailored to each targeted territorial pole.

Bakary Dosso, Head of IDEP’s Training and Research Division, emphasized turning regional insights into practical growth: “The Pôle-Sud’s demographic and spatial importance makes it critical to Senegal’s overall transformation. But potential only becomes progress if we build on local realities, identify true growth drivers, and unite stakeholders around a common goal. Our work in Ziguinchor is about converting local insight into strategic choice, and strategic choice into action.”

This workshop builds on a foundational session held in Dakar in December 2025, which focused on capacity-building and policy localization under the Senegal 2050 National Transformation Agenda.

Establishing territorial development poles represents a major structural shift in Senegal’s planning model—moving away from rigid sectoral approaches to integrate the economic, social, spatial, and environmental interdependencies that drive lasting development.

The Ziguinchor sessions enabled participants to map local constraints, highlight core economic strengths, and clarify how the three constituent regions can complement one another. The workshop concluded with the adoption of a joint roadmap to finalize the strategy and lay the groundwork for implementation.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Eswatini validates joint procurement framework to unlock value in its leather sector

minilik.demissie — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:49:10 +0000

7 October, 2026

Share this:

Ezulwini, Eswatini, 7 October 2026 (ECA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in partnership with the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) and the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, held a two-day workshop on 6–7 October 2026 to validate the Eswatini Leather Joint Procurement Framework aimed at galvanising the country's leather sector.

Hosted at ECODEC in Ezulwini, the workshop brought together participants from government, UNECA, ALLPI, the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Eswatini Leather Cooperative and development partners.

Speaking on behalf of the Principal Secretary, Ambassador Melusi Masuku, of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Under Secretary Mr Phesheya Dube highlighted that Eswatini can produce approximately 220,000–250,000 hides and skins annually. However, the majority are exported in raw or wet-salted form, limiting value addition within the country . According to the Leather Value Chain Strategy, processing these hides and skins into finished leather products could increase their value from approximately E78.7 million at the raw stage to about E943.8 million, underscoring the significant economic potential of developing a domestic leather industry.

Mr Dube noted that efforts to capture this value are constrained by the absence of a commercial tannery and footwear leather-goods sector that remains heavily dependent on imports. He further observed that local manufactirers rely substantially on imported leather and other inputs, increasing operating costs and undermining the competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the domestic and regional markets.

"Procurement alone will not transform the sector," he said. "Continued attention is needed on tanning capacity, skills, machinery, product design, standards, finance and market access. The longer-term objective is to move from exporting raw hides and skins to processing and manufacturing finished leather products, retaining more value in Eswatini and creating opportunities for MSMEs and employment."

Speaking on behalf of Ms. Eunice Kamwendo, Director of the ECA Sub Regional Office for Southern Africa, Ms. Zodwa Mabuza, Regional Advisor on Trade and Regional Integration, highlighted that Africa’s leather market was valued at approximately US$3.9 billion in 2024, yet the continent continues to import substantial volumes of finished leather products that could be manufactured locally. She emphasized that the leather industry presents a strategic opportunity to advance regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while creating productive and inclusive employment opportunities for young people. Noting that youth unemployment among 15 to 24-year-olds in Eswatini exceeds 50 percent, she stressed the importance of developing competitive regional value chains. Ms. Mabuza further observed that, if successfully implemented, Eswatini’s leather value chain development model could serve as a scalable blueprint for other countries across Southern Africa.

ALLPI Executive Director Mr Nicholas Mudungwe pointed to shortages of inputs and leather accessories, and a lack of finance as key constraints, and called for collaboration and a shared vision. Citing the Bata Company's growth from modest beginnings to operations in some 90 countries, he urged Eswatini's SMEs to think bigger and stressed that industrial policy must keep pace with changing realities.

Following the keynote addresses, participants received presentations on the Eswatini leather value chain context and constraints, and discussed input prices, stock-outs, supplier minimum-order quantities and lead times. An overview of the joint procurement and revolving raw-material facility model was also presented.

The afternoon session was moderated by Ms Olayinka Bandele, Economist and Chief of the Industrialisation Section at ECA. Ms Dlamini, ECA Consultant, presented the survey findings, and ALLPI presented the material requirements and cost structure for selected leather products.

Day 2 was dedicated to reviewing and improving the draft Framework through group discussions on material needs, supply and demand, sourcing and storage, repayment and possible risks. Each group developed practical recommendations, which were shared with all participants and will be used to finalise the Framework and its implementation plan.

There was consensus among members of the Eswatini Leather Manufacturers Association that the Framework targets two persistent constraints facing leather enterprises: access to production materials and access to finance. By consolidating the requirements of leather artisans and MSMEs, collective procurement is expected to create economies of scale, strengthen bargaining power, provide more reliable access to quality inputs, and reduce transaction and transport costs.

The Framework also lays the foundation for a revolving fund to improve access to working capital. Speakers stressed that the fund's success will depend on effective governance, which is critical to transparency, accountability, sustainability and stakeholder confidence.

In closing, UNECA encouraged stakeholders to provide practical and constructive input so that the Framework is transparent, commercially viable and responsive to the needs of Eswatini's leather enterprises. UNECA further called on development partners, financial institutions, and the private sector to strengthen their support for the sector through targeted investments, skills development initiatives, enhanced market linkages, innovative financing mechanisms, and institutional capacity-building. Such support, UNECA noted, will be critical to unlocking the full potential of Eswatini’s leather value chain and fostering sustainable industrial development.

The Ministry thanked UNECA for its support in developing the Framework, and ALLPI for its technical contribution to value addition, skills development, product development and standards.

The shared vision is to transform hides into products, products into enterprises, enterprises into jobs, and jobs into shared prosperity.

Issued by:

The Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa

UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

P.O. Box 30647, Lusaka, Zambia.

Contact for more information

Lavender Degre

Communication Officer

Contact: Lavender.degre@un.org

Tel: (260)966797779

Invigorating central Africa’s private sector: ECA calls for accelerated reforms to drive investment, jobs and economic diversification

eskinder.tsegaye — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:45:45 +0000

6 October, 2026

Share this:

Yaounde, 6 October 2026 (ECA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Subregional Office for Central Africa (ECA) will hold the 42nd session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) for Central Africa from 13 to 15 October 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The statutory meeting will bring together representatives of Central African States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the private sector, academia, civil society, and technical and financial partners.

Held under the theme “Accelerating the implementation of priority reforms to boost the private sector at the midpoint of the decade of economic diversification in Central Africa (2021–2030)”, the session will examine ways to strengthen the effectiveness of ongoing reforms, remove key obstacles to business development, and better mobilize the private sector to support the subregion’s productive transformation. The ICSOE will also serve as a statutory platform for dialogue and policy guidance on key issues aimed at unlocking the potential of the private sector.

The assessment reveals a striking paradox. Since 2017, following the collapse in oil prices, Central African countries have pursued a substantive reform agenda aimed at improving the economic business environment. However, implementation has lagged behind the adoption of reforms, and their impact on businesses remains limited.

Progress has been made in administrative simplification, the digitalization of public services, the modernization of tax administrations, and the strengthening of legal frameworks. However, businesses continue to face significant obstacles, including regulatory complexity, compliance costs, gaps in legal certainty, inadequate productive infrastructure, limited access to finance, skills and innovation gaps, fragmented markets, and weak coordination between public and private stakeholders.

The ECA Subregional Office for Central Africa has prepared a study on the subject for consideration by participants at the 2026 ICSOE. The report highlights a persistent gap between reforms adopted and their effective implementation. In several countries, monitoring systems still focus more on the laws and regulations adopted than on the actual results achieved by businesses.

Financing provides another important indicator. In 2025, with the exception of Burundi, no ECCAS country recorded private-sector credit above 20 % of GDP, compared with a global average of 140.3 %. This financing gap particularly affects SMEs, which need medium- and long-term financing to modernize their equipment, adopt new technologies, and access regional markets.

Productive capacity provides a third indicator. Between 2017 and 2025, manufacturing value added as a share of GDP increased in some countries but declined in several others. No country in the subregion reached the levels recorded in Malaysia or Thailand, while the share of manufacturing employment remained stable or declined in several economies.

“This ICSOE session is intended to support our Member States in identifying and prioritizing the necessary reforms, while, above all, strengthening their implementation, coordination, monitoring and ownership by the private sector. In a more predictable and enabling environment, businesses can increase productive investment, process natural resources locally, foster innovation, create jobs, strengthen regional value chains and seize the opportunities offered by the AfCFTA,” said Jean Luc Mastaki, Director of the ECA Subregional Office for Central Africa.

The stakes of these reforms go well beyond administrative simplification or improvements in business-environment indicators. They directly concern Central Africa’s ability to create more value locally, reduce its external vulnerability and generate productive employment. The ICE will therefore also examine ways to strengthen public-private dialogue, improve coordination between national and regional policies, and promote a bankable-project approach, particularly for productive infrastructure and strategic regional corridors.

“Based on the evidence, we will work with our Member States, the RECs, the private sector and other experts to explore how to create the conditions that will enable businesses to invest more, produce more, create more jobs and play a greater leadership role in driving Central Africa’s economic diversification,” Mr. Mastaki concluded.

Queries
Zacharie Roger MBARGA – Communications Officer
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
637, Rue 3.069, Quartier du Lac, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Tel: (+237) 222 504 348
Email: zacharie.mbargayene@un.org

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Africa launches credit rating agency to address financing challenges

eskinder.tsegaye — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:24:28 +0000

8 October, 2026

Share this:

Port Louis, Mauritius, 8 October 2026 (ECA) – Africa has officially launched its own credit rating agency, marking an important milestone in efforts to improve how African economies are assessed, address longstanding concerns over high borrowing costs and attract more investment for development.

The Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA), launched in Mauritius on 7 October 2026, is an independent, private sector-driven institution established to bring additional data, knowledge and perspectives into the assessment of African economies. It will complement, rather than replace, existing international credit rating agencies.

The launch follows years of work by the African Union and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), supported by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), African financial institutions and other partners.

African Union Commission Chairperson ,Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, described the launch as an important milestone in Africa's economic development, while emphasizing that the agency must maintain its independence to earn the confidence of investors and financial markets.

He also cautioned that AfCRA alone would not significantly reduce Africa's cost of capital, underscoring the need for broader reforms to address the continent's financing challenges.

For African countries, the stakes are considerable. Credit ratings influence borrowing costs, investor confidence and access to capital markets. Where perceptions of risk do not adequately reflect economic realities, governments can face higher financing costs, leaving fewer resources available for infrastructure, health, education and other development priorities.

ECA’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Hanan Morsy, said persistent risk premiums were estimated to cost Africa approximately $75 billion annually in excess interest payments.

She said AfCRA offered an opportunity to address this imbalance by bringing a deeper understanding of African economies, data and reform trajectories into the ratings landscape, thereby broadening the information available to investors.

However, Ms. Morsy emphasized that better ratings alone would not resolve Africa's financing challenges. Countries must also strengthen their economic fundamentals through sound macroeconomic management, domestic resource mobilization, responsible fiscal policies and reliable economic data.

ECA, working with the African Union, the African Development Bank and other partners, continues to support member States in strengthening these fundamentals and improving their creditworthiness.

In a statement delivered on his behalf by Uganda's State Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Amos Lugoloobi, President Yoweri Museveni emphasized the importance of linking Africa's trade integration efforts with deeper financial integration.

President Museveni, who chairs the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government, said stronger capital markets, credible financial institutions and reliable credit information were essential to supporting regional investment and economic transformation, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Mauritius Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning Jyoti Jeetun stressed that the objective was not to secure more favourable ratings for African countries, but to ensure their economies were assessed more accurately.

“AfCRA is not about asking the world to rate Africa more favourably. It is about helping the world understand Africa more accurately,” Ms. Jeetun said.

APRM Chief Executive Officer Ambassador, Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre, reflecting on the decade-long effort to establish the agency, stressed the importance of protecting it from political interference and ensuring rigorous, unbiased assessments.

“Independence must not be a slogan used at launch; it must be the discipline by which this institution lives,” Ambassador Rose-Quatre said.

UN Special Adviser on Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, emphasized that establishing AfCRA was only the beginning. African financial institutions, pension funds, development banks and central banks must now demonstrate confidence in the agency by using its ratings.

“We cannot ask global capital to trust what African capital treats as optional,” Ms. Eziakonwa said.

She also highlighted the importance of reliable data, regulatory recognition, institutional independence and a credible track record built over time.

Beyond sovereign ratings, AfCRA is expected to provide assessments of subnational entities and African companies, helping improve access to credit information, deepen domestic capital markets and create more opportunities for investment within the continent.

The agency's establishment forms part of wider African efforts to reform the international financial architecture, mobilize domestic and international capital and improve access to affordable financing for sustainable development.

Mauritius, which will host AfCRA's headquarters, was selected as the agency's primary jurisdiction. The agency's management team is led by Chief Executive Officer Sifiso Falala, who will oversee its operations.

The next task will be translating the ambition behind AfCRA into a credible, independent institution whose assessments command the confidence of African and international financial markets

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

ECA and partners advance inclusive and shock-responsive social protection

eskinder.tsegaye — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 06:19:21 +0000

7 October, 2026

Share this:

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 7 October 2026 (ECA) – Government officials and experts have gathered in Addis Ababa to strengthen social protection systems that reach underserved populations and respond effectively to economic pressures, climate-related disasters and conflict.

The interregional workshop, taking place at the United Nations Conference Centre from 7 to 9 October, is co-organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and African Union Commission. The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) provides technical support.

Speaking at the opening, Ms. Zuzana Schwidrowski, Director of ECA's Socio-Economic Development Division, emphasized that social protection is essential to meeting basic needs, managing risks and building sustainable livelihoods. "Social protection must help people move forward—and protect them from being pushed back," she said, highlighting the importance of linking support to employment, skills development and entrepreneurship while extending coverage to informal and self-employed workers.

Ms. Schwidrowski called for a shock-responsive system built before the shock and for translating evidence on multidimensional poverty and country experiences into practical commitments. She affirmed ECA's readiness to support these efforts through policy analysis, technical assistance and regional learning.

Representing UNDESA, Amson Sibanda, Chief of Social Policy Analysis and Research Coordination Branch at the Division for Social Development, highlighted how multidimensional poverty analysis reveals overlapping deprivations that income measures alone may overlook.
Multidimensional poverty analysis is not simply a measurement tool; it is a practical policy instrument that can help governments design social protection systems.

He emphasized the value of this approach in identifying excluded populations, connecting assistance with essential services and directing scarce resources towards people facing multiple disadvantages.

Rajul Awasthi, Lead Governance Specialist and Global Lead for the Domestic Resource Mobilization Global Solutions Group in the Governance Practice at the World Bank, underscored the importance of sound public financial management, clear institutional mandates and accountability to beneficiaries. Reliable social registries, accessible grievance mechanisms and stronger domestic resource mobilization were highlighted as priorities for effective delivery.

Representing ESCWA, Marco Schaefer, Chief of the Social Protection Section in the Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development Cluster, drew attention to coverage gaps affecting informal workers who lack social insurance but do not qualify for poverty-targeted assistance. He emphasized complementing cash assistance with employment support and preventive protection, alongside contingency financing to respond to shocks.

The workshop focuses on reviewing and validating the Guidelines for Operationalizing the Multidimensional Poverty Index for Adaptive Social Protection: A Framework for Action. Participants will examine how national multidimensional poverty indices can be linked with social registries and administrative data to improve eligibility assessment, prioritization, programme design and monitoring.

The meeting builds on the 2025 interregional training workshop in Livingstone, Zambia, and two United Nations Development Account projects addressing gaps in social protection evidence and coverage across Africa and the Arab region.

Participants are expected to identify practical steps for finalizing and applying the guidelines, supported by clear institutional responsibilities, country-led capacity development and technical assistance.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Opening remarks by Mr. Claver Gatete at the at the launch of the Africa Credit Rating Agency

minilik.demissie — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 06:17:05 +0000

7 October, 2026

Share this:

LAUNCH OF THE AFRICA CREDIT RATING AGENCY

Opening Remarks

Claver Gatete

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and

Executive Secretary of ECA.

Port Louis, Mauritius,

7 October 2026

Delivered on the Executive Secretary’s behalf by Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, ECA.

Vice President of the Republic of Mauritius, His Excellency Jean Yvan Robert Hungley,

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Burundi, His Excellency Nestor Ntahontuye,

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf,

The CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism Continental Secretariat, Her Excellency Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade of Mauritius. The Honourable Dhananjay Ramful,

Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning, Republic of Mauritius, the Honourable Jyoti Jeetun,

The State Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of the Republic of Uganda and Chairperson of the African Peer Review Focal Points Committee, the Honourable Amos Lugoloobi,

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and the U.N. Special Advisor for Africa, Office of Special Advisor for Africa. Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa,

Honorable Ministers,

Development partners,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I want to start by thanking the Government and people of Mauritius for hosting this important occasion in the beautiful city of Port Louis.

Let me also express my sincere gratitude to Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre for her leadership in coordinating the institutions involved in bringing AfCRA to this stage.

Today marks an important milestone in Africa’s long quest for greater fairness in the international financial system

I commend the African Union, the African Peer Review Mechanism, and all those who have worked so hard over the years to make the Africa Credit Rating Agency a reality.

It comes amid longstanding concerns across African countries that sovereign risk assessments do not always adequately reflect country fundamentals, with consequential effects on the cost of borrowing and investment flows.

When perceptions of risk do not fully reflect the realities of a country’s economy, the consequences are obvious. We see them every day.

Governments pay more to borrow. Investment is becoming harder to attract. The scale of this burden is significant. Estimates suggest that persistent African risk premiums cost the continent approximately US$75 billion per year in excess interest payments, diverting scarce public resources away from development priorities like infrastructure, health, and education.

Ratings also shape policy choices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about potential rating downgrades discouraged some eligible countries from requesting temporary debt-service suspension under the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative.

When governments hesitate to use an internationally agreed crisis-support mechanism because of possible rating consequences, it points to a need to reassess how such risks are evaluated.

AfCRA offers an important opportunity to help address this imbalance.

By bringing a deeper understanding of African economies, data and reform trajectories into the ratings landscape, it can help broaden the information and perspectives available to investors.

Its proximity to the markets it rates, its knowledge of local institutions, and its understanding of reform programmes as they unfold, should be its comparative advantage.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The objective is not preferential treatment for African sovereigns. It is greater accuracy, transparency and contextual relevance in the assessment of credit risk.

AfCRA is a private sector-driven, independent agency. Its credibility will depend on rigorous assessments, transparent methodologies and, ultimately, the trust it earns from governments, investors and markets.

That trust must be built deliberately: through strong governance, clear impartiality, sustainable financing, and the willingness to deliver unwelcome news when the evidence warrants it. A rating agency that cannot downgrade will not be believed when it upgrades.

Over time, AfCRA should also seek appropriate recognition from central banks, securities regulators and other competent authorities, so that its ratings can be used, where relevant, within investment, risk-management and prudential frameworks.

This would help embed AfCRA's assessments in the functioning of African capital markets and financial institutions.

It is also important to emphasize that AfCRA is not intended to replace the three major international credit rating agencies.

It will complement their work, bringing additional data, knowledge and perspectives into the ratings landscape and helping to promote greater transparency and fairness in how African economies are assessed.

Its coverage need not stop at sovereigns. Ratings of sub-national entities, companies and local-currency instruments can help deepen domestic capital markets and give African pension funds and insurers more investable opportunities here at home.

With a fuller picture of African economies, investors can better assess opportunities and risks, and financing terms can more accurately reflect economic fundamentals.

That can help unlock capital for governments, businesses, infrastructure and other development priorities.

And this matters because public resources alone cannot meet Africa’s financing needs.

We need to mobilize far more private capital, both domestic and international, if we are to deliver on Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

AfCRA is an important part of Africa’s response to this challenge. It also contributes to the wider effort to reform the global financial architecture, as reflected in the UN Pact for the Future and in the Sevilla Commitment adopted at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.

More accurate and transparent ratings are important but better ratings are only part of the answer. Countries must also get the underlying fundamentals right.

That means sound macroeconomic management, stronger domestic resource mobilization, effective public financial management, responsible fiscal policy and careful management of external balances.

It also means timely, transparent and reliable data. Any rating agency, global or African, can only be as accurate as the information available to it. Strengthening national statistical systems and debt transparency is therefore not a technical detail; it is a direct investment in creditworthiness.

And it means engaging proactively with rating agencies and investors, through dedicated investor relations functions and regular, credible communication. Countries that tell their story clearly and consistently are better understood by markets.

This is an area where ECA, in collaboration with the African Development Bank, the African Union and other partners, continues to support our member States in strengthening their economies and improving their creditworthiness.

We will continue to work with member States to strengthen debt data and fiscal management and deepen local-currency capital markets.

And we look forward to working with AfCRA wherever our respective expertise can reinforce African ownership and deliver practical results.

Excellencies,

AfCRA’s credibility will not be declared at a launch ceremony. It will be earned, rating by rating, over the years ahead. I therefore urge we all work collaboratively to ensure that the ambition behind this continental institution is matched by the quality, independence and credibility of its work.

If we get that right, AfCRA can help us move towards a financial system in which African economies are judged not by perception, but by a fuller and fairer reading of the facts.

Ultimately, our objective is to enable countries to invest in sustainable development while preserving stability, resilience and national ownership.

I thank you, and I thank the Government of Mauritius for providing a home for this important African institution.

[Blog] The land and the people: reflections on climate resilience in Guinea-Bissau

eskinder.tsegaye — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:27:54 +0000

8 October, 2026

Share this:

Author: Maria Dombaxi

Towards the end of his remarks at the RESIslands launch in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Environment and Climate Action, Carlos Pinto Pereira, became visibly moved as he spoke about communities. Listening to him, we were reminded about the people whose daily decisions give climate policy its meaning: how to earn a living, cultivate land, process fish and protect a home.

His intervention had made adaptation tangible. Communities need timely information about dangerous weather. They need ways to sustain their livelihoods while protecting the ecosystems on which those livelihoods depend. And they need support that continues after equipment has been delivered and an event has ended.

That moment stayed with us because it connected the technical language of climate resilience with the responsibilities behind it. What does protecting the environment mean for someone who needs to cut wood to process fish? What does a warning mean for a family if it arrives too late? What makes an investment worthwhile when its greatest return is a community kept safe?

In Guinea-Bissau, these questions also brought to mind Amílcar Cabral, the agronomist.

Alongside his role as a liberation leader, Cabral worked to understand agriculture and the land. He planned and carried out Guinea’s agricultural census in 1953. His later writing on the characteristics and fundamental problems of agriculture in Guinea drew on that work, leaving a record of scientific engagement with the country’s farming systems.

Reading that history alongside the discussions in Bissau, we see a connection in the attention paid to local conditions. Understanding a territory requires knowledge of how people use it and what they depend on. That is a useful starting point for today’s climate agenda, where national priorities must be grounded in the realities of communities and the evidence available to them.

The minister’s examples illustrated the choices involved. He spoke about fish-processing technologies that can reduce pressure on mangroves while allowing people to continue earning a living. He also stressed the importance of helping communities use these technologies effectively. Equipment needs skills, maintenance and follow-up if it is to become part of everyday practice.

This matters because protecting ecosystems and supporting livelihoods have to be considered together. A household relying on natural resources needs workable alternatives and the means to adopt them. The conditions that make environmental protection possible deserve as much attention as the behaviour we hope to change.

The same principle applies to climate information. During the launch, a member of the National Institute of Meteorology presented evidence on temperature and rainfall patterns, and their implications for agricultural planning. His presentation showed the value of adjusting planting calendars to regional conditions, including the risk of false starts to the rainy season and dry periods within it.

For a farmer, the usefulness of that evidence lies in the decision it informs. When should planting begin? How much risk is involved? What information is available before seed, labour and money are committed?

Participants raised questions about access to climate data and about how institutions can work together to make information available. These are practical questions about the distance between producing knowledge and enabling people to use it. Closing that distance requires trained specialists, coordination between institutions and communication that reaches communities in a form they can understand.

RESIslands can contribute to these foundations. Funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the initiative supports national capacity, risk-related frameworks, project preparation and knowledge exchange across nine members of the African Island States Climate Commission.

In Guinea-Bissau, work is already under way to make sure that these communities are not left behind. This is preparation for future investment. Its value will depend on whether national institutions can use stronger evidence and expertise to develop proposals that respond to the country’s priorities, and whether those proposals can ultimately secure the resources needed for implementation.

The minister’s remarks also raised a question that belongs at the centre of climate finance: how do we value protection? He spoke about investments such as coastal defences that may generate no direct financial profit but remain essential to safeguarding communities. Their value includes homes protected, livelihoods sustained and losses avoided. Making that value visible is part of preparing a convincing case for investment.

Cabral’s agronomic legacy offers a lens through which to consider this work. It invites attention to the land, to the knowledge needed to understand it, and to the people whose lives are bound to it. Applied to today’s climate challenges, that perspective makes national expertise and community participation central to defining solutions.

We left the launch thinking about the minister’s concern for communities and the practical examples that gave it substance. Climate resilience becomes meaningful in those connections: between a forecast and a planting decision, between a technology and a livelihood, between an investment proposal and a place people can continue to call home.

Source note

Historical reference: Amílcar Lopes Cabral, “A Agricultura da Guiné - Algumas notas sobre as suas características e problemas fundamentais” (1959), Fundação Mário Soares e Maria Barroso, Casa Comum, cota 04342.001.005. The archive records Cabral’s planning and execution of the 1953 agricultural census. https://casacomum.org/id/04342.001.005

Chad validates National Data Governance Strategy, marking a key milestone in its digital transformation

eskinder.tsegaye — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:12:00 +0000

7 October, 2026

Share this:

N’Djamena, Chad, 7 October 2026 – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization of the Republic of Chad, convened the National Validation Workshop for Chad’s National Data Governance Strategy on 7 October 2026 in N’Djamena.

The workshop brought together 50 participants representing government institutions, regulatory authorities, the private sector, academia, civil society, and technical and development partners to review and validate the Strategy, which will provide a national reference framework for the governance, protection, management, sharing and strategic use of data. The validation marks an important milestone in the participatory process undertaken to support the development of Chad’s national approach to data governance.

The Strategy seeks to position data as a sovereign and strategic national asset, supporting effective public policies, improved public services, innovation, economic competitiveness and sustainable development.

It is structured around seven complementary pillars: institutional governance and coordination; the legal and regulatory framework; data management, quality and interoperability; data infrastructure, data sharing and access; security and personal data protection; skills development and data culture; and the data economy and innovation.

Opening the workshop, H.E. the Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization of Public Administration, Hon. Haliki Choua Mahamat emphasized the Government’s ambition to place data at the centre of Chad’s public-sector modernization and socio-economic development.

“Our ambition is clear: to make data a strategic national asset that supports the modernization of the State, the effectiveness of public action, and the economic and social development of Chad,” stated the Minister.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Tobias Dierks, representative of GIZ, highlighted the importance of moving decisively from the development of the Strategy to its implementation.

Speaking on behalf of ECA, Dr. Mactar Seck emphasized that the Strategy must ultimately become a practical instrument capable of delivering measurable results for the country.

“The Strategy that brings us together today will only take on its full meaning if it becomes a living framework: owned by institutions, understood by stakeholders, sustainably financed and translated into concrete actions,” said Dr. Mactar Seck.

He also reaffirmed ECA commitment to continue supporting Chad as the country transitions from strategy development to implementation, focusing on capacity building, sharing African experiences and good practices, alignment with continental frameworks, partnership mobilisation, and translating strategic priorities into measurable results.

The Strategy identifies priority use cases in sectors critical to Chad’s development, including the single digital window, health, education, mining and petroleum, agriculture, livestock and fisheries, telecommunications and digital services.

During the validation workshop, participants reviewed the Strategy and provided recommendations through thematic discussions covering institutional governance and the legal framework; data management, quality, interoperability and infrastructure; security and personal data protection; and skills development, the data economy and innovation.

The validation of the National Data Governance Strategy marks the beginning of a new phase focused on implementation. Moving forward, government institutions, the private sector, academia, civil society and development partners will play an important role in translating the Strategy and its roadmap into concrete actions that strengthen public administration, digital sovereignty, innovation and sustainable socio-economic development.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org

Africa eyes domestic capital to tackle high financing costs

minilik.demissie — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 09:31:53 +0000

6 October, 2026

Share this:

Port Louis, Mauritius, 6 October 2026 (ECA) - Africa needs deeper capital markets, stronger financial institutions and better mechanisms for mobilizing its own resources if it is to finance development at the scale required, experts said at the 2nd Annual Conference on Credit Ratings, which concluded in Mauritius on 6 October.

Over two days, policymakers, credit rating experts, investors, regulators and development partners explored how Africa can strengthen its credit ratings ecosystem while mobilizing more domestic capital for long-term investment.

Discussions ranged from the way risk is assessed and priced in African markets to the development of local capital markets, financial literacy, artificial intelligence and fintech.

Another issue was how Africa’s reserves, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance assets could be put to greater use in financing the continent’s development.

The conference came at a time when African countries continue to face high financing costs and growing investment needs.

UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles, Lisa Singh, said Africa’s cost of capital remained among the highest in the world and called for investment decisions to be informed by accurate, transparent and comprehensive assessments of African economies.

Ms. Singh noted that the issues under discussion went well beyond the technical workings of financial markets because they directly affected the ability of governments to finance infrastructure, support businesses, create jobs and improve people’s lives.

African Peer Review Mechanism CEO, Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre, urged African countries to create the conditions needed to unlock more of the continent’s own capital for development.

Ms Rose-Quatre underscored the importance of stronger governance, managing risk and creating conditions for productive investment. She also pointed to the Africa Credit Rating Agency, due to be launched on 7 October in Mauritius following the conference, as part of a wider effort to strengthen Africa’s financial architecture and respond to longstanding concerns around credit ratings.

Mauritius Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning, Jyoti Jeetun, said deeper and more liquid capital markets were needed to diversify financing sources and support infrastructure, business expansion and innovation across Africa.

She also pointed to Mauritius’s role in facilitating cross-border investment through its financial services ecosystem.

“The development of capital markets should therefore be viewed not simply as a financial sector objective, but as an integral component of economic transformation and sustainable development,” said Ms. Jeetun.

Much of the conversation centered on the relationship between risk, ratings and investment. Participants shared views on how global credit rating methodologies assess African economies, the factors behind risk premiums and how country-specific circumstances could be better reflected in risk assessments.

They also addressed reforms to Africa’s credit rating ecosystem and measures to deepen domestic capital markets, including greater market liquidity, more investment instruments, stronger market infrastructure and local-currency bond markets.

Sonia Essobmadje who heads the Innovative Finance and Domestic Resource Mobilization Section at the Economic Commission for Africa said developing Africa’s capital markets must be a priority.

“Deeper and more efficient domestic markets can help mobilize Africa’s own resources, channel savings into productive investment and reduce reliance on external financing,” Ms. Essobmadje said.

The ECA economist also highlighted the need to improve the macroeconomic fundamentals to ensure that risk assessments better reflect the reality of African economies.

Participants also addressed knowledge gaps around sovereign and corporate credit ratings, including how governments, state-owned enterprises, investors and regulators understand and engage with rating processes.

Financial literacy was identified as an important part of building a more transparent, inclusive and resilient financial ecosystem.

Technology was another major part of the conversation, from emerging AI-driven rating models and dynamic credit scoring to the use of new technologies in rating methodologies and data. The conference also explored the potential of fintech, blockchain and AI to increase the quality and volume of finance available to African economies.

A recurring issue throughout the meeting was how Africa could put more of its own capital to work. Participants highlighted some policy options for enabling a greater share of African institutional assets to be invested within the continent without compromising liquidity and safety, drawing lessons from emerging economies including China, Japan and South Korea.

The implications for infrastructure financing, industrialization, trade, regional integration and sovereign ratings were also discussed.

Mauritius provided a fitting setting for the conversation. Ms. Singh described the island nation as both a small island developing state and a recognized financial hub, noting that its hosting of the conference and the Africa Credit Rating Agency reflected Africa’s efforts to strengthen its financial architecture while remaining engaged with international markets.

The conference was organized by the African Peer Review Mechanism in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, the Government of Mauritius and other partners.

It brought together representatives of governments, financial institutions, credit rating agencies, investors, regulators, academia and the private sector and concluded with key takeaways, action points and conference resolutions.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org