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Collaborate and work together to Improve Intra-African Trade – Osinbanjo to African Countries
Prof. Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has urged African countries to collaborate, work together to improve intra-African trade.
He said this could be done by building infrastructure that connect the countries both digitally and physically.
He noted some of Africa’s accomplishments at the level of intra-African trade, stating that as much as 41 per cent of Africa’s machinery exports were traded within the continent.
Prof. Osinbajo also noted that 35 per cent of biopharmaceutical products and 30 per cent of industrial chemicals were already being traded as a measure of intra-African trade.
Speaking at the BOMA of Africa event on the sidelines of the Africa Union’s Mid-Year Coordinating Meeting held in Accra last Saturday, Prof. Osinbajo said it is in the best interest of Africa to improve trade among its member countries.
This year’s theme for BOMA of Africa, “From the Africa We Want to the Africa We Build,” encapsulates the essence of Africa’s journey. Through focused discussions on health, wealth creation, development financing, and governance, BOMA 2024 aimed to ignite new momentum towards realizing Africa’s continental aspirations. By spotlighting major projects and initiatives, the event aimed to foster a spirit of collaboration and determination.
Touching on Africa’s rich biodiversity, Prof. Osinbajo said the continent had high biodiversity reserves and the scale of natural capital to preverse centuries of ecological erosion and the unbridled carbon-laden industrialisation of yesterday.
Noting that there is a wave of brain drain that has hit African countries, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who previously served as Attorney General of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, said Africa must create an environment that rewards the talents of its people to prevent movement of African labour to other continents.
“Labour is always going to find the place where it is best rewarded. Anywhere in the world, wherever labour is best rewarded, that’s where it’ll go. That’s why there are lots of movements all across the world. It’s, therefore, best for Africa to create the environment for rewarding talent,” Prof. Osinbajo said.
He said according to experts, as much as one quarter of the planet’s workforce was likely to be of African origin and of the youthful workforce in particular, as much as 42 per cent may be in Africa by 2050.
“according to him, an energetic pool of youthful talent fortified with fast-advancing artificial intelligence and the geoengineering edge of a world that is desperately in need of a new economic growth paradigm is an edge that the rest of the world ignores at great risk.”
“Integrate trade, digital transaction and work together to build a resilient, rich, prosperous economy and then people will stay and people will come from everywhere in the world to Africa. There’s no other solution,” he said.
With regards to Africa’s health development readiness, Prof. Osinbajo noted that during the pandemic, Africa, through the collaboration of Panavirus and the Africa CDC, brokered by AfroChampions, built and deployed the world’s first vaccine passport.
“The Panavirus platform digitally connected labs and hospital facilities, as well as pathogen genomic centres in 20 countries of Africa,” he added.
AUDA-NEPAD and AfroChampions, alongside other strategic partners, have hosted the annual BOMA of Africa event during African Integration Week since 2019. This year’s BOMA was aligned with the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, further cementing its significance on the continent’s commemorative calendar.
The BOMA of Africa has become a premier platform for showcasing the continent’s most inspirational achievements in unity and integration.
Convened at the highest level, the event aims to move beyond discussions to concrete actions, inspiring Africans across various fields such as science, technology, education, the creative arts, and entrepreneurship.
The 2024 BOMA of Africa is a strategic milestone on the path to achieving the Africa We Want. AUDA-NEPAD and AfroChampions reaffirm their unwavering commitment to the goals of Agenda 2063, setting a precedent for accountability, innovation, and unity across the continent.
Madam Sandra Seyram Kpedor, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Anloga in the Volta Region, has emphasised the importance of parental involvement in children’s education, stating that education is free, but parents need to do more to support their children.
She said parents, teachers, and students must be involved in addressing the challenges facing the district’s education sector, particularly the poor Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results.
Madam Kpedor outlined some key roles parents should play to promote their children’s education, including providing a conducive learning environment, monitoring their children’s progress, and supporting teachers.
The DCE highlighted some challenges the district faced such as inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teachers, which have also contributed to the poor BECE results and called on well-to-do parent to help solve the situation through and other supports.
To address the issues, she also announced that plans have been taken to utilise the district’s common fund to implement educational projects, such as constructing school blocks and teachers’ bungalows at Sodzi community, and 2-unit classroom blocks each at Akplorwutorkor and Tegbi-Afedome respectively, among others.
Madam Kpedor also noted that her office had earlier notified the Ministry of Education to deploy more teachers to the area to improve teaching and learning, and encouraged students to work hard and strive for excellence, and work beyond their limit to succeed.
“To my wonderful and beautiful girls, you have to know it clear that women and girls have equal opportunities to compete with men for greater achievements,” she indicated.
The DCE cited her own achievement as a testament to the fact that women can excel in leadership positions, alongside Vice President Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and stressed that girls were no longer limited to domestic roles but can pursue their dreams and become leaders.
Additionally, she mentioned that a meeting was held earlier with assembly members, and other stakeholders to address the district’s educational challenges and improve academic performance.
She promised that the district’s education oversight committee and stakeholders would work together to address the challenges and improve the district’s BECE results and called for parental involvement and support to boost the district’s education sector for children to chase their dreams to become future leaders for the success of the district and the nation.
She urged parents not to leave everything to the government but rather help in the provision of some necessary materials such as textbooks, exercise books, pens, pencils, food, and guidance to children for the successes of young learners. –GNA
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The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
