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

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  Africa must power, connect and digitize its economies - Claver Gatete

  by minilik.demissie on April 21, 2026

  21 April, 2026Share this:facebooktwitteremailprintAddis Ababa, 21 April 2026 (ECA) - “No country can compete in the 21st century on analog foundations,” said Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), calling for African economies to accelerate their digital transformation. The shift, he stressed, will require countries to “power, connect, and digitize” their economies. He was speaking at the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (CoM2026), where policymakers and experts gathered to examine how innovation, data and new technologies can drive growth and create jobs. Discussions focused on what it will take to build more competitive, higher-productivity economies, strengthen skills for a changing labour market, improve access to finance for businesses, and scale innovation, including frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence that are reshaping productivity and labour markets. With unemployment rising across Africa, the continent’s labour market is under growing pressure. The pace and scale of job creation are not keeping up with its fast-growing population, leaving policymakers, economists and innovators searching for solutions that can deliver at scale. It is a challenge that has brought renewed focus on the role of innovation and technology in driving growth and job creation. In an interview with ECA’s Sustainable Africa Series, Ojoma Ochai, Managing Director of Co-Creation Hub, said the growing focus on innovation and emerging technologies to create jobs and expand economic opportunity reflects what practitioners in the tech ecosystem have long been working toward. She pointed to a persistent gap between ideas and implementation. “There’s a lot of research going on, but the research hardly translates into industry or new products,” Ms Ochai said. To address that gap, Co-Creation Hub has been working across the innovation ecosystem, supporting startups, building talent, and creating pathways that connect research to market. One example is its Uni:nnovators programme, implemented across Namibia, Nigeria and Kenya, where students are supported through design sprints and hackathons to develop solutions and build ventures, ranging from health to agriculture. Beyond supporting startups, the work also focuses on building talent and connecting people to opportunity. “We don’t expect the founder of a startup to have all the skills,” Ms Ochai said. “Through our ecosystem, we’re finding ways to connect people to the talent that they need.” That includes job matching, skills development, and strengthening capabilities across the broader ecosystem. For many innovators, building solutions is only the first step. Expanding them across markets and reaching enough people to make a broader economic impact often proves more difficult. Ms Ochai said her organisation has built its work around the idea of a more connected Africa, supporting entrepreneurs to move across markets and navigate the realities of expansion. “We believe in the potential of a connected Africa, and we’ve codified that into our programmes,” she said. That includes helping entrepreneurs move into new markets and facilitating what she described as “soft landings”, from licensing and regulatory requirements to office space and local networks. Across the continent, technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital platforms and mobile payments are beginning to reshape sectors from agriculture to finance, expanding access and improving productivity. Digital payment systems and mobile money, for example, are lowering transaction costs and broadening access to financial services, while e-commerce and cross-border payment platforms are supporting more efficient trade across African markets. Yet, the ability to scale these innovations across countries remains uneven. Mr Gatete noted that “despite the expanding digital activity across the continent, a significant share of value continues to accrue elsewhere,” underscoring the need for stronger governance frameworks, regulatory systems and digital taxation to ensure African countries retain and capture value from their own data. As economies evolve, education and training systems will need to keep pace, ensuring young people are equipped with the skills required for a changing world of work. Adequate financing will also be critical to ensure that these initiatives and opportunities can scale. At CoM2026, there was broad agreement that innovation, powered by data and new technologies, is no longer optional. It is central to how Africa creates jobs, drives productivity and builds more competitive economies. 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

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  ECA hosts five-day workshop to strengthen Ethiopia’s capital markets

  by minilik.demissie on April 21, 2026

  20 April, 2026Share this:facebooktwitteremailprintAddis Ababa, 20 April 2026 (ECA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has convened a five‑day Capacity‑Building and Technical Workshop aimed at advancing Ethiopia’s capital markets. The workshop is jointly organized with the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA), the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), FSD Ethiopia, and the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE). It brings together regulators, market institutions, financial‑sector actors, institutional investors, issuers, and development partners to support Ethiopia’s transition toward a capital market capable of mobilizing long‑term domestic finance for inclusive and sustainable development. Opening the workshop, Ms. Sonia Essobmadje, Chief of the Finance and Domestic Resource Mobilization Section at ECA, emphasized the importance of moving from policy ambition to practical implementation. “Capital markets are a key pillar for mobilizing long‑term finance. This workshop reflects ECA’s commitment to practical, evidence‑based support that helps countries move from framework‑building to delivery,” she said. Speaking on behalf of FSD Ethiopia, Mrs. Hikmet Abdella, Chief Executive Officer, highlighted the importance of capability and ecosystem readiness. “Market development is not only about institutions and regulations. It is about inclusion, capacity, and intentional design,” she noted. Representing the regulator, Ms. Rahel Kassa, Deputy Director General of ECMA, underlined the importance of setting high standards in Ethiopia’s young capital market, particularly for thematic bonds. “Early issuances, including the first gender bond, must set a strong benchmark for quality, transparency, and impact to build investor confidence,” she said. The workshop covers two complementary workstreams: strengthening the ecosystem for gender‑responsive thematic finance, including the development of a Gender Bond Framework, and enabling institutional and anchor investor participation, including pensions, insurers, banks, and development finance institutions. The five‑day engagement will conclude with a high‑level stakeholders’ roundtable to discuss priorities and coordinated follow‑up actions. Outcomes are expected to inform the Gender Bond Framework, institutional‑investor engagement pathways, and a practical implementation roadmap for Ethiopia’s capital‑market development. Through this initiative, ECA reaffirmed its commitment to working with Ethiopia and its partners to support the development of credible, inclusive, and resilient capital markets that can mobilize long‑term finance for national 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

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  ECA holds study tour in support to Sudan’s tax administration and development

  by srona.editor on April 21, 2026

  16 April, 2026Share this:facebooktwitteremailprintCairo, 16 April 2026 (ECA) – The ECA Office for North Africa, in partnership with the Egyptian Tax Authority, concluded today a five-day study tour in Egypt, to support Sudan’s efforts to advance tax administration reforms. The tour was held from 12 to 16 April 2026, and included a technical workshop, peer-to-peer exchanges, and field visits to key ETA departments for the benefit of high-level officials from the Sudan Tax Chamber led by Dr. Badr ElTamam, Director General. The tour provided Sudan Tax Chamber representatives with an opportunity to examine how the Egyptian Tax Authority plans and implements reforms, introduces digital tools, and enhances taxpayer services. This practical exposure will provide Sudan with tools to design realistic and effective measures to modernize and digitize its own tax system, strengthen compliance, and advance the broader agenda of revenue mobilization and fiscal recovery in Sudan. This initiative comes at a critical time for Sudan. Since the outbreak of civil conflict in April 2023, the country has been suffering from severe economic disruption, widespread destruction of public institutions, population displacements, and the collapse of administrative infrastructures. Tax revenues have fallen by nearly 80 percent, limiting the government’s ability to finance essential services and prepare national budgets. With tax collection at only 1 percent of GDP—among the lowest globally—strengthening domestic resource mobilization is crucial to restore fiscal stability and support post-conflict recovery. “The breakdown of revenue collection mechanisms since the start of the conflict has significantly constrained the ability of Sudan’s government to finance essential public services and sustain development projects. Given the key role it can play for financing reconstruction, supporting economic and social recovery and strengthening fiscal stability, revenue mobilization is currently one of Sudan’s most pressing macroeconomic and developmental challenges,” said Adam Elhiraika, Director of the ECA Office for North Africa ahead of the visit. The study tour is part of the ECA Office for North Africa’s ongoing support to Sudan and other member States in strengthening economic governance, enhancing domestic resource mobilization, and promoting resilient and sustainable development. By facilitating knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives, ECA helps countries address immediate challenges while preparing for long-term reforms in public administration and fiscal recovery. 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

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  AT CM14, ECA, UNCTAD and TESS advocate for trade to transform critical minerals in Africa

  by minilik.demissie on April 17, 2026

  27 March, 2026Share this:facebooktwitteremailprintYaoundé, 27 March 2026 (ECA) – As the global transition to clean energy accelerates, Africa is emerging as a pivotal player in the evolving landscape of decarbonization. While the continent is endowed with vast reserves of critical minerals, it continues to face structural challenges in shifting away from a model centered on raw material exports towards one driven by domestic value addition and industrial transformation. It is within this context that policymakers, leading experts and international institutions, convening in Yaoundé on the margins of the 14th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, issued a compelling call to action: to harness Africa’s critical minerals as a strategic lever for green industrialization, inclusive growth and an equitable energy transition. Co-organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS), the high-level dialogue highlighted the continent’s strategic positioning in the reconfiguration of global clean energy value chains. With close to 40 per cent of the world’s reserves of essential minerals (including cobalt, lithium, graphite and manganese) Africa holds a clear comparative advantage. Yet, it continues to capture only a marginal share of the value generated across these supply chains. “The imperative is no longer merely to extract, but to transform,” underscored Adama Ekberg Coulibaly, representing the Director of the ECA Subregional Office for Central Africa. “This transformation presents a historic opportunity to anchor Africa’s green industrialization within an inclusive and sustainable development trajectory. It calls for a coherent and integrated approach, grounded in regional cooperation, forward-looking trade policies and responsible investment frameworks, to ensure that the continent’s natural wealth delivers tangible benefits for its people,” he added. At the heart of this ambition lies a critical question: how can Africa effectively translate its resource endowment into sustained economic growth, quality employment and shared prosperity? Notwithstanding this potential, significant structural constraints persist. African economies remain highly vulnerable to global price volatility, reflecting their continued reliance on primary commodity exports. This challenge is further compounded by the predominance of artisanal mining, increasingly stringent environmental, social and governance requirements, and a limited pipeline of well-structured, investment-ready projects capable of attracting large-scale financing. “These structural bottlenecks continue to constrain Africa’s industrial upgrading and value capture,” noted Henri Kouam, founder of the Cameroon Economic Policy Institute. In response, the African Union Commission is calling for a decisive shift in scale and ambition, in alignment with Agenda 2063 and the Africa Mining Vision. Within this framework, the African Continental Free Trade Area is seen as a critical enabler for the development of integrated regional value chains that can retain a greater share of value within the continent. “This will require sustained investments in infrastructure, the strengthening of industrial and technological capabilities, and a more strategic alignment with evolving global market dynamics,” stated Jean-Bertrand Azapmo. Echoing this perspective, ECA emphasized that strengthening productive capacities will be central to driving this transformation. The battery and electric vehicle value chain initiative between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia was highlighted as a flagship example of emerging regional cooperation. “It signals a new trajectory—one in which African countries are actively positioning themselves to capture higher-value segments of the green economy,” explained Koffi Elitcha, Economist at the ECA Subregional Office for Central Africa. He further underscored the need to develop a new generation of Special Economic Zones that integrate small and medium-sized enterprises, embed ESG standards, and foster skills development alongside research and innovation. Beyond sectoral initiatives, discussions converged on a critical cross-cutting imperative: enhanced coordination. This entails not only greater policy harmonization across African countries, but also deeper and more strategic engagement with the private sector. In this regard, Jodie Keane of ODI Global stressed the importance of developing bankable, market-aligned projects capable of attracting sustained investment flows, particularly from African private sector actors. Media Queries Zacharie Roger MBARGA - Communications OfficerUnited Nations Economic Commission for Africa637, rue 3.069, Quartier du Lac, Yaoundé, CameroonTel: (+237) 222504348E-mail: zacharie.mbargayene@un.org

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  ECA supports Niger in harnessing the demographic dividend

  by minilik.demissie on April 17, 2026

  15 April, 2026Share this:facebooktwitteremailprintDosso, Niger, 15 April 2026 (ECA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its Sub-Regional Office for West Africa (SRO-WA), is providing technical support to Niger in organizing a strategic workshop in Dosso. This initiative aims to strengthen national capacities for monitoring the demographic dividend and integrating Demographic Dividend-Sensitive Budgeting (DDSB) into planning and budget programming processes. From April 8 to 13, national experts will work on three major areas: Updating the Demographic Dividend Monitoring Synthetic Index (DDMI) – by collecting and updating indicators based on the most recent data, with backcasting or extrapolation through 2025; Post-2020 budget transformation – by converting conventional budgets using a demographic dividend-sensitive approach; Analyzing results achieved for operationalizing the DDSB approach – to sustainably embed this methodology into Niger’s planning and budget programming tools. This workshop is part of the implementation of the continental roadmap adopted by African Union Heads of State and Government in 2017, which establishes the capture of the demographic dividend as crucial for driving sustainable development in Africa. This technical assistance reflects the ECA’s ongoing commitment to supporting Niger on its path toward emergence by 2030 and the achievement of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals.

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  ECA convenes leaders and youth entrepreneurs to unlock regional value chains ahead of the Africa Development Impact Forum

  by minilik.demissie on April 16, 2026

  14 April, 2026Share this:facebooktwitteremailprintLusaka, 14 April 2025 — The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Sub Regional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA), in collaboration with the ECA African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP) and the Office of the Executive Secretary, convened a high-level virtual webinar on the theme "Unlocking Regional Value Chains: Empowering Youth-Led Enterprises in Africa to Thrive Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)." The webinar — the fourth in the ECA's Stock-Taking Webinar Series — forms part of the engagement ahead of the inaugural African Development Impact Forum (ADIF), scheduled for 11 and 12 June 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ADIF is ECA's flagship solutions platform, focused on the theme "Best Practices and Innovative Solutions for Job Creation in Africa." With nearly 70% of Africa's population under the age of 30, and the continent faced with the task to generate approximately 15 million jobs annually to absorb its rapidly growing workforce, youth unemployment has emerged as one of the most pressing development challenges of our time. In Southern Africa, the situation is particularly acute. Youth unemployment exceeds 60% in South Africa and ranges between 35–40% in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini. Compounding the challenge, 70–80% of African businesses fail within their first five years — not due to a lack of ideas, but due to inadequate financing, weak market linkages, and systemic barriers to regional and global trade. Opening the Forum, Ms. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director of IDEP, reaffirmed ECA's commitment to moving beyond rhetoric. "ADIF is not another conference. It is an action-oriented platform — built to systematically translate research and evidence into measurable outcomes," she said. "We are not arriving in June with open questions. We are arriving with practical recommendations, co-created solutions, and a clear plan for implementation." Ms. Ben Soltane emphasized that ADIF operates through a deliberate three-stage process: identifying high-potential solutions before the Forum, refining them with stakeholders, and launching an Implementation Clock to sustain post-Forum momentum and track progress. Ms. Eunice G. Kamwendo, Director of ECA SRO-SA, called for a fundamental shift in how Africa approaches youth economic inclusion — from treating young people as job seekers to empowering them as job creators, and from fragmented markets to integrated regional value chains. "If we are serious about unlocking regional value chains for youth, then we must act decisively — each of us playing a role in creating solutions to unleash this potential," Ms. Kamwendo stated, calling on governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and development partners to act in a concrete and coordinated manner. "Africa's future will not be built for youth — it must be built with them and by them," she added. The webinar spotlighted compelling examples of African youth already transforming constraints into opportunity. Ms. Kamwendo also shared the story of Gugulethu Siso, a young Zimbabwean entrepreneur who built Thumeza — a logistics platform — after struggling to send basic goods to her grandmother in a rural village. What began as a logistics solution has evolved into a platform that enables small transporters to access working capital and receive faster payments. Thumeza now operates across Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, and Uganda, and is actively positioning to leverage opportunities from the AfCFTA. Ms. Tasha Chitika, Founder of Wingy General Dealers (Zambia), shared her first-hand experience as a cross-border trader, highlighting practical enablers that allowed her youth-led enterprise importing salt from Botswana and Namibia to integrate into regional value chains — including transport pooling with fellow SMEs, use of the SADC Certificate of Origin for tax-free benefits, and mobile money payments for security and efficiency. She flagged lack of access to information and foreign exchange facilities at the border as constraints to doing business. Mr. Saul Levin, Executive Director, Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), examined the landscape facing youth-led enterprises seeking to access regional value chains. He analysed structural impediments to integrating youth-led SMEs into value chains at national, regional, and continental levels. Mr. Khulekani Mathe of the SADC Business Council highlighted limited work experience and skills and education gaps as key factors affecting youth employment and enterprise development. He stressed the importance of fostering linkages between youth-led SMEs and Multinationals as a means to address such gaps. Ms. Katrina Amupolo, Manager at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), outlined how government institutions can play a catalytic role — connecting entrepreneurs to regional networks, unlocking youth finance through credit guarantee mechanisms and supporting innovation through initiatives such as the “Scale Up Namibia” programme. Mr. Misheck Gondo, Regional Coordinator of the Southern African Youth Forum (SAYoF), while delivering the Vote of Thanks, underscored the critical importance of cross-institutional partnerships in translating dialogue into impact. The webinar was moderated by Ms. Bineswaree Bolaky, Economic Affairs Officer, ECA SROSA. She highlighted that ECA was developing AfCFTA Step-by-Step Guides for the private sector to bridge information and implementation gaps.  In her concluding remarks, Ms. Zodwa Mabuza, Regional Advisor at ECA SRO-SA, briefed participants on the way forward and highlighted the concrete outcomes anticipated at ADIF in June 2026. The webinar series will continue over a six-month period, crowdsourcing insights across sectors and regions to build a shared, inclusive knowledge base — ensuring that when stakeholders convene in Addis Ababa, they arrive equipped with evidence-based, actionable solutions aligned with Africa's Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. About ADIF The African Development Impact Forum (ADIF) is ECA's flagship solutions platform, designed as an action-oriented, multi-stage initiative that bridges research, policy, and implementation. Its inaugural edition — focused on job creation — will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in June 2026. ADIF is complementary to existing ECA platforms, including the Annual Conference of Ministers, the Africa Business Forum, and the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. Issued by: The Sub-Regional Office for Southern AfricaUN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)P.O. Box 30647, Lusaka, Zambia. Media Contacts: Ms. Lavender DegreCommunication OfficerTel: +260 211 228502/5 Ext. 21307DL: +260 211 376607Email: lavender.degre@un.org