Nigeria has advocated strategic approaches toward achieving Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU), a 50-year Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming the continent into the global powerhouse of the future, signed in 2013.
The measures include incentives for public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements for the development of infrastructure,
establishment of centres of excellence at the subregional levels to build capacity in technology and the need for innovative financial models.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and leader of the Nigerian delegation, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, made the country’s propositions at the ongoing 12th Annual Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, South Africa, on Thursday.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, said Kalu, who reacted to a paper presented on the subject matter, urged the Parliament to strive to make Agenda 2063 a household name in Africa.
The Deputy Speaker also underscored the need to fund the project to achieve the desired results adequately.
“I want to commend you for that beautiful presentation. The idea is wonderful, and we are pursuing it, but we are struggling because of the gaps you mentioned.
“The issue of financing. You also agreed that financing is an issue on this agenda. So, the question becomes, how do we make it a household project? A household agenda without funds? It won’t be easy, and you’ve highlighted that we cannot depend on external bodies to be able to push this project; we need to own it and finance it.
“Will it be a good idea for Africa to look at PPP, a private-public partnership, to raise funds to fulfil the objectives of this agenda? As legislators in our various parliaments, legislate those who participate, especially in infrastructure development that’s in line with this agenda 2063, to incentivise maybe through a tax break for some of them.
“Another one is that it appears to me that there’s a substantial overlap between Agenda 2063 and SDGs. I heard you talk about health facilities and the rest of them, which is also one of the agenda of SDGs. Are they not overlapping so much? If they are, and SDGs are taking care of some of these responsibilities, do we not prioritise those outside the SDGs list to drive efficiency in a better form?
“For us to drive 2063, there’s every reason for people to have the suitable capacity to drive it. We cannot go to Europe and borrow from people who will help us implement our agenda. To achieve that, what are we doing about the knowledge that’s lacking, the capacity that’s lacking?
“Will it be a wrong proposal for us to say, let’s establish centres known as centres of excellence across the various regions in Africa where we can build capacities in technology and knowledge so that we’ll be able to own this project” he noted.
