Statement by Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, UN under secretary general and executive secretary of ECA: fifth joint annual meetings of African ministers

Abstract

Statement by Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA at the Fifth Joint Annual Meetings of the AU Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance and the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Mr. Janneh, on his remarks highlighted that, Unleashing Africa’s Potential as a Pole of Global Growth – could not have been placed on your agenda at a more appropriate time. Increasing faith and abiding belief that Africa is on the rise both by Africans themselves and by our partners as reflected in various research reports and positive stories in the media. Going forward, Africa must continue to harness its resources, with which it is deeply endowed, for growth and development. Africa must transform its agricultural sector if it is to make headway in unleashing its potential. Agriculture is the mainstay of most of our economies through its contribution to national income, employment and livelihoods. The encouraging figures on Africa’s market size, foreign exchange reserves, natural resource base, and flows of foreign direct investment are all aggregate figures and only confer an advantage in the context of a seamless African economy.