Dr Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, has urged African leaders to utilize the abundant resources the continent is endowed with to the benefit of their people.

“In Europe, I don’t know how many days of sunshine they have, but here we have at least over 300 days of sunshine. We must take advantage of that. We have our rivers, we must use them. And we are blessed with the diversity of water and oil, which we must benefit from,” she noted.

Dlamini-Zuma was speaking on the topic “Why the world needs a Dynamic Africa and what role must each African Play to achieve this goal” at the BOMA of Africa event organized by AUDA-NEPAD and AfroChampions on the sidelines of the Africa Union’s Mid-Year Coordinating Meeting held in Accra last Saturday.

Under the theme “From the Africa We Want to the Africa We Build,” the 2024 edition of BOMA of Africa aimed at celebrating the radical ideas and actions driving Africa forward.

This festival of innovation and unity featured debates, discussions, and announcements of groundbreaking initiatives that exemplify the milestones of African integration and development.

Through focused discussions on health, wealth creation, development financing, and governance, BOMA 2024 aimed to ignite new momentum towards realising Africa’s continental aspirations. By spotlighting major projects and initiatives, the event aimed to foster a spirit of collaboration and determination.

In a world marked by geopolitical shifts, technological advancements, conflicts, and economic turbulence, Africa’s strategic blueprint, Agenda 2063, has become urgent and necessary. The BOMA of Africa serves as a high point for showcasing and celebrating strategic developments on this roadmap, providing a platform to mobilize support for peace, security, and development.

“Our minds and our trajectory to Agenda 2063 cannot be determined only by investors, otherwise, we are colonised. It must be determined by what we can do and what we want to do,” Dr. Dlamini-Zuma said.

According to her, “We need to build our own trains. We need to build our own cars. We need to build roads. Eventually, we should also be able to build our own lakes. Maybe not today. It’s a big elephant, one bite at a time, but we must get there.” 

Key highlights at BOMA 2024 included the 2nd Sankore Lecture, the inaugural Sankore Awards, and showcasing transformative projects such as Energize Africa, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, and the Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator. These initiatives underscore commitment to advancing regional integration, socio-economic growth, and resilience across the continent.

A longstanding member of the African National Congress, who currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Limpopo, Dr. Dlamini-Zuma advised Africans to not let colonisation and slavery define them, but rather, remember their unique identity. 

“Before we were colonised, we were a very dynamic continent and dynamic people. Even the Europeans themselves acknowledge that Africa was a dynamic continent,” she noted. 

Dr. Dlamini-Zuma expressed disappointment and worry that Africa, with its huge youthful population, has become a supplier of labour to other parts of the world. She said Africans must travel out of choice and not out of desperation.

She encouraged African leaders to improve the conditions in their countries to prevent their citizens from travelling out of frustration and desperation.

“If they go somewhere else, it should be out of choice, not out of desperation, as it’s happening today. But also, I always get this complaint about how difficult it is around African countries,” she said.

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 2024 was held in Accra, Ghana on July 20, 2024 on the sidelines of the AU Mid-Year Coordinating Meeting.

This year’s theme, “From the Africa We Want to the Africa We Build” brought together distinguished leaders, strategists, and innovators to celebrate and assess the remarkable progress of Agenda 2063.