UNDP Urges Africa To Scale Proven Development Models For Growth

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has urged African countries to move beyond pilot projects and focus on scaling proven development models capable of driving sustainable economic growth across the continent.

The call was made on Friday by Dr Jide Okeke, Director of Regional Programmes at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Okeke said Africa’s development agenda must shift from isolated initiatives to scalable systems that can generate sustainable enterprises and long-term economic value.

“We should stop counting jobs and start counting valued enterprises,” he said.

He stressed that the continent’s future growth depends on building resilient economic structures that create opportunities across multiple value chains, rather than focusing only on employment statistics.

According to him, Africa’s evolving demographic realities demand a new approach to youth development and economic inclusion, noting that the aspirations of young people have significantly changed over the decades.

“The young person of 1982 is different from the young person of 2026. Africa has changed, Africa is changing and Africa will continue to change,” he stated.

Okeke also argued that discussions on development financing should go beyond financial resources, emphasizing the need to harness Africa’s broader asset base.

Citing the African Economic Outlook Report, he identified four key forms of capital critical to the continent’s transformation: financial capital, human capital, natural resource capital, and fiscal capital.

He urged governments and development institutions to strategically mobilise these resources to scale up development financing and accelerate economic transformation.

The UNDP official criticised Africa’s long-standing reliance on pilot programmes, describing it as a barrier to progress.

“We have been doing pilots since 1960. It is time for us to scale-up what has worked and what is working,” he said.

The AfDB 2026 Annual Meetings, which began on May 25 in Brazzaville and concluded on May 29, were held under the theme: “Mobilising Africa’s Development Financing at Scale in a Fragmented World.”

The gathering brought together African leaders, policymakers, and development experts to explore solutions to the continent’s financing and growth challenges.