*Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urges regional bodies to prioritise minimising trade barriers, promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, human capital development, as well as value addition in agriculture and agro-allied sectors to boost intra-African trade

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has advocated the strengthening of regional economic communities to drive integration and trade ties among African countries, to deepen democracy and accelerate development across the continent.

President Tinubu, who stated this during the Summit on the State of Democracy in Africa Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Abuja, FCT, said through bitter experience, Nigeria has learned that the solution to poor democratic governance is to have advanced democracy.

绿帽献妻 reports the Nigerian leader, represented at the event by Vice President (Senator) Kashim Shettima, in his keynote address also urged the revitalisation of sub-regional blocs, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), as platforms to usher in an era of robust intra-African commerce, economic growth and job creation for the peoples.

“The immense potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can only be maximally realised when there is concrete economic integration and collaboration at the different sub-regional levels,” Tinubu said.

He equally urged the regional bodies to prioritise minimising trade barriers, promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, human capital development as well as value addition in agriculture and agro-allied sectors.

Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to The President on Media and Communications (Office of The Vice President), also stated President Tinubu noted the African continent 鈥渕ust deliberate on ways through which African sub-regional organisations can help foster better intra-African trade, achieve better food and energy security, promote higher rates of youth employment, alleviate poverty and realize greater prosperity for our people.鈥�

According to him, a reinvigorated sub-regional cooperation is critical for the successful implementation of the path-breaking AfCFTA by harmonising rules and regulations to facilitate the free movement of goods, services and people.

Acknowledging the “despair about democratic reversals” due to recent military coups in some African countries, he expressed optimism about polls held successfully in economies, such as Liberia, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria.

He asserted: 鈥淭he tragedies of our nations and histories inspire our concern about the reversals of democratic governments, particularly in West Africa. That鈥檚 why we are alarmed by the military coups in Mali, Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, and Gabon.鈥�

On the need for to establish well-funded standby military forces

President Tinubu, however, advocated discussions on empowering regional blocs to establish well-funded standby military forces “to help contain military adventurers and the rampaging waves of terrorism and religious extremism.”

He, therefore, urged African leaders to respect constitutional tenets like term limits, and ensure credible elections and autonomous institutions through the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to achieve democratic consolidation.

The President stated: “This Summit must discuss ways of making the APRM contribute to achieving good governance and democratic consolidation on the continent.鈥�

Declaring that Africa can no longer be the “doormat of the world with street beggar economies”, President Tinubu also called for concrete measures through reinvented regional bodies to boost trade, enhance security and entrench constitutional democracy for development and prosperity on the African continent.

Why African leaders need to evolve 鈥榗ontextual democracy鈥�, by ex-President Obasanjo

Earlier in his keynote remarks on the occasion, former President (Chief) Olusegun Obasanjo, said the answer to the myriad of challenges confronting democracy in Africa is in re-examining the 鈥渕odel of democracy鈥� passed on to African by their colonial masters.

Chief Obasanjo said leaders across the continent must come together to devise a form of contextual democracy that takes into account past experiences, addresses contemporary challenges and emphasises good leadership, strong institutions, and a stable middle class, all reflecting Africa鈥檚 rich cultural heritage.

The former President, who expressed concern about the growing discontent for democracy on the African continent, also opined that the model that would work for Africans, as it is a model that takes into account the typical and predominant political system, and is 鈥渟uitably and appropriately placed to serve the objectives of the African people.鈥�

Women鈥檚 participation will strengthen democracy in Africa, says Amina Mohammed

In her goodwill message, Dr Amina Mohammed, United Nations鈥� (UN) Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said the active participation of women and young people in politics, and other decision-making processes would strengthen democracy in Africa.

Amina drew the attention of authorities on the African continent to the effective implementation of laws, adherence to the tenets of accountability, and improved investment in democratic institutions.

鈥楽he also noted that they are critical to the sustenance of democracy in Africa and beyond.

Speaking at the event also, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and member of the Board of Directors, Shehu Musa Yar鈥檃dua Foundation, said the focus of the summit, which is 鈥淭he State Of Democracy In Africa”, aligns with the cornerstone of the Foundation鈥檚 mission and vision.

Mahmoud observed the participants in the summit are expected to thoroughly interrogate the model of democracy being practised in Africa vis-a-vis the current challenges experienced on the continent, to resolve the lingering issues and reshape democracy in Africa.

Also present at the event were the President of the Ford Foundation, Mr. Darren Walker; Executive Director of Trust Africa, Dr. Ebrima Sall, and Co-Founder of Afrobarometer, Prof. Gyimah Boadi, among others.

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