Prior to the pandemic, the African continent was making steady progress in terms of consistent economic growth, improved governance; increased investments in social and physical capital, and reduction in violent conflict.  By 2020, 27 African countries were categorized as high- or middle-income countries and the continent’s return on foreign direct investment was 11.4%, which is well above the global average of 7.1%.

However, Africa’s growth was not equal (with many regions and groups being left further behind), not inclusive (particularly for women and minorities) and not sustainable (with both terrestrial and maritime ecosystems under considerable stress). In addition, the region’s annual GDP growth rate averaged 4.6% over the past decade, significantly below the SDG target of 7 % year. 

The pandemic has further exposed societal cleavages, by pushing over 40 million back into extreme poverty and widening the wealth divide.  COVID-19 also impacted the more vulnerable disproportionately and stretched the capacity of African governments to provide adequate and timely social protection for all citizens.  Furthermore, vaccine inequity has meant that African governments are struggling to inoculate their citizens and prevent the spread and mutation of the coronavirus. The consequent vaccine delays are increasing the social, economic and financial costs of the pandemic in Africa.  According to the World Bank, vaccine delays could cost African countries $14 billion every month.

While the pandemic has exacerbated barriers to growth, it has also highlighted opportunities for growth.  First, African countries can plan to build forward smarter (via technology), stronger (via community resilience), more equitably (by prioritizing marginalized groups) and more sustainably (via green transitions).  Second, there is a unique opportunity to emphasize the importance of empowering and enabling vulnerable communities, particularly those who live in rural areas or borderlands.  Third, the pandemic has presented the continent a chance to prioritize regional synergies, particularly within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area arrangement, which could energize Africa’s 1.2 billion strong market and bolster both manufacturing and trade. Fourth, the continent could also take concrete steps to ensure that the abundance of natural resources across the continent help finance development programs by stemming the annual leakage of some $89 billion in illicit financial flows.

Moving ahead, African countries and institutions cannot rely on ‘business as usual,’ the continent must rethink development and find ways to maximise the use of its natural resources and human capital. AFRI CONVERSE provides an opportunity for multi-sectoral speakers and participants including thought leaders, development cooperation agencies, private business and scholars to shed some light on viable, post-COVID development pathways that deliver tangible, equitable and sustainable development gains and move the continent towards the attainment of the SDGs and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

SPEAKERS:

●Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP 

●Mr. Ryuichi Kato, Vice President, JICA 

●Mr. Susumu Tsubaki, Director/CEO, Asia Africa Investment and Consulting

● Dr K Y  Amoako, President, African Center for Economic Transformation 

Date: 5th November 2021 19:30-21:00 (JPN)/ 13:30-15:00 (Ethiopia)

19:30～19:33　Opening and Logistics

19:33 ~ 19:35  Introduction

19:35 ~20:05  Initial presentation by speakers

20:05 ~20:55　Moderated panel discussion

20:55 ~21:00  Closing

- Venue: Online（Zoom）

- Participation: Free

- Language: English, French, Japanese (simultaneous interpretation provided)

- Presented by JICA and UNDP

Registration: Required from the website below. 

https://undp.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Wom-4YutRdmG5PY9REnB-g

Contact: 

Chika Kondoh, TICAD Partnership Specialist, UNDP Tokyo Office (chika.kondoh@undp.org) 

Minami Matsumura, Africa Department, JICA (Minami.Matsumura@jica.go.jp)