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A man sits outside the office building of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra, capital of Ghana, Aug. 17, 2020. (Ghana Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) African nations need to adopt new approaches to realize the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and accelerate the continent's development, a UN official said Thursday.

UN official calls for new approaches to reap benefits of AfCFTA

By Xinhua

KIGALI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- African nations need to adopt new approaches to realize the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and accelerate the continent's development, a UN official said 
Thursday.Ozonnia Ojielo, the UN resident coordinator in Rwanda, told a development policy dialogue in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, that Africa needs to build integrated, diversified and resilient economies more than ever before.The AfCFTA is the flagship program of Agenda 2063 of the African Union designed to boost intra-African trade in goods and services."AfCFTA is a game-changer but translating it into reality requires preparedness and readiness supported by accompanying measures to ensure that countries make the most of this agreement. This is where we all have a role to play," Ojielo said. "It is not about time to think outside the box. It is time to think without the box."Ojielo
 highlighted a range of potential benefits of the AfCFTA, such as 
providing productive employment and poverty reduction, which he said are some of the urgent challenges that the continent has to address. "But without preparedness, no benefit can be realized," he warned.He
 said countries need to think about how to be more intentional by 
shifting to new ideas that create acceleration in terms of economic 
development, integration, and scaling up the number of projects.Ojielo
 also mentioned the need for discussions that translate into developing 
reliable and efficient transboundary infrastructure, by increasing 
investments in education and health systems for a more competitive 
workforce and overall human capital.
Li Yaya teaches students Chinese characters in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on July 20, 2023. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)The
 inaugural development policy dialogue was held under the theme "A Lens 
on the African Continental Free Trade Area preparedness, best practices 
and opportunities for East Africa and Rwanda."Deputy
 Secretary General of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs at the East 
African Community Annette Ssemuwemba Mutaawe said while many people are 
aware of AfCFTA's benefits, concerted efforts are needed to turn the 
aspirations into reality.She
 called for youth and women empowerment to unleash the continent's full 
potential and foster economic integration and inclusive growth across 
Africa.Richard
 Niwenshuti, the permanent secretary of Rwanda's Ministry of Trade and 
Industry, said the Rwandan government fully subscribes to regional 
economic integration and believes as a region much can be done within 
that wider market of AfCFTA.
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