Revisiting Africa's Agenda 2063 in a time of flux
The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 is the 50-year continental development framework adopted by the AU Assembly in 2015. It articulates aspirations and 20 goals of the 'Africa We Want in 2063'.
From envisioning a high standard of living and well being of the continent's citizens, its wide-ranging goals specifically address education and health, economic transformation and job creation, Africa' confederation quest, infrastructure development, continental financial and monetary institutions, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, peace and security, cultural renaissance, gender equality, youth empowerment and development financing modalities.
Its implementation is fashioned around 10-year implementation plans: the first of which covered the period 2014-2023. An assessment of that first implementation plan led by the AU's Commission and its Development Agency, NEPAD, revealed modest progress.
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Africa's socio-economic landscape is cited as one factor that negatively affected implementation progress during this phase.
Overall, only 10 countries were judged to have implemented at least 50 percent of the Agenda 2063 goals. Rwanda leads the pack having achieved a 63 percent implementation milestone, followed closely by Ethiopia and Senegal (63 percent), Zimbabwe at 61 percent, Togo (60 percent), Tunisia and Uganda at 54 percent, Algeria (53 percent) and Kenya at 51 percent.
Mauritius (50 percent) completes the list of 10 countries hitting the 50 percent implementation mark.11 countries have reached a 30 percent (or less) implementation rate. They are Botswana and Burundi (29 percent), Namibia (28 percent), Zambia (27 percent), Lesotho (26 percent), Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa are tied at 22 percent, while Mauritania and Benin have reached 11 percent and six percent performance, respectively.
Of the Agenda 2063 phase one goals (20 in total), only five have reached a 70 percent plus attainment level. These are the goals related to citizens health and nutrition, infrastructure development, confederation, peace and security and gender equality.
Progress in implementing the African Continental Free Trade area (AfCFTA) accounts for the score given to the confederation goal. In contrast, progress towards continental integration via an African passport to ease the free movement of people is terribly slow.
Since its adoption in 2018, only four member states (Mali, Niger, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Principe) have ratified the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons. 15 ratifications are needed for a Protocol to come into force.
In the meantime, given restrictive visa regimes, Africans continue to pointlessly face constraints on movement across countries within the continent. The slow-paced implementation of the Trans-African Highway Missing Link and the African High Speed Rail Network flagship projects further limit the aspiration for a more integrated and united Africa.
Agenda 2063 profiles 15 flagship projects. The other 13 are: the AfCFTA, the Single Africa Air Transport Market, the African Commodity Strategy, the Pan-africa E-Network, Cyber Security, the Pan African Virtual and E-University, the African Outer Space Programme, the Great Museum of Africa, Silencing of the Guns and End Wars in Africa by 2020, the Free Movement of all Persons and African Passport, the Continental Financial Institutions, the Grand Inga Hydropower project and the African Economic Platform.
Strikingly, the worst performing goal (at 17 percent level of implementation) is the economic transformation and jobs creation one. Which is an indictment on the continents progress on economic development, manufacturing, and industry.
The other notable poorly ranked goal is the one related to transformative leadership and 'capable' institutions. Despite the ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Election and Governance by 39 countries (and being in force since 2012), an overall weak performance of 42 percent was recorded.
On the aspiration towards a continent that fosters a people-oriented development, the assessment confirms that Africa did not meet Agenda 2063's 'youth-related goals and targets' citing especially the high youth unemployment rate and an increase in the incidence of child labor.
The second 10-year implementation phase (2024-2033) is underway since last year, with seven 'moonshot' targets set in what the AU describes as the 'decade of acceleration' to soar up implementation based on the lessons and milestones from the first implementation phase.
The 20 goals for this implementation phase have a similar orientation to the first phase and cover, wealth creation (so that all member states attain at least middle-income status), infrastructure development and energy security, 'responsive democracy', social cohesion, skills development for citizens and pro-active positioning of the continent as a strong and influential global player.
There are obvious glaring gaps around the domestication of Agenda 2063 to ensure better alignment with national development plans. Related to this is limited citizens awareness of the plan which undermines its ownership at national levels.
Moreover, the lack of costing and an anchor strategy for own financing as well as pooling of the requisite abilities and skills for execution are a self defeating own-goal. Given fast changing global trends, Agenda 2063 also requires a robust cushioning framework against external risks and shocks. It is an opportune moment for introspection and 'out-of the box' rethinking.
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