New york: The 2025 Academic Conference on Africa at the United Nations Headquarters recently convened prominent African scholars, ministers, and activists to deliberate on the prevailing sentiment across the continent that their nations are not on the right trajectory. The focus was on identifying changes necessary for Africa to secure its position in an evolving global landscape.
According to United Nations, Cristina Duarte, the UN Special Adviser, in an interview with UN News’ Ben Dotsei Malor, emphasized three crucial insights from the conference. She highlighted the need for a transformative shift in mindset, the importance of reclaiming Africa’s vast knowledge resources, and the necessity of strengthening institutional frameworks as pivotal steps toward genuine transformation.
Cristina Duarte elaborated on her first takeaway, stating that Africa’s primary issue is not a multitude of problems but rather a mindset problem. She argued that once this mindset shifts, and African knowledge is valued as a fou
ndation for development, the continent can move in a new direction.
The second takeaway underscored the ongoing challenges of nation-building and state-building that Africa faces, despite nearly 60 years of independence. The third focused on the need for Africa to gain control over its own resources, pointing out that while the continent experiences debt distress, it is not over-indebted. The distress stems from a lack of control over economic and financial flows.
Ms. Duarte addressed the need for African policymakers to focus inward rather than outward. She pointed out that Africa loses approximately $1.4 billion daily due to inefficiencies and capital flight, yet continues to prioritize official development assistance, which constitutes a mere fraction of this amount. She advocated for a development model that relies on domestic resource mobilization, not through increased taxation, but by efficiently utilizing existing resources.
On the topic of remittances from the African diaspora, which exceed $100 b
illion annually, Ms. Duarte highlighted the need to view these funds as domestic flows rather than external ones. She stressed the importance of integrating remittances into financing development strategies.
Ms. Duarte also addressed the demographic reality that over 60% of Africa’s population is under 25. While this is often seen as a challenge, she called for investment in economic ecosystems and productive sectors to harness this demographic for development. She emphasized the need for widespread implementation of STEM education to equip young Africans with the skills needed for decent employment.
Regarding governance challenges, Ms. Duarte expressed hope for Africa’s future, noting that by 2050, a significant portion of the world’s youth will be African. She advocated for developing a “Made-in-Africa democracy” that draws on Africa’s democratic traditions of consensus and participation, rather than importing Western models.
Ms. Duarte concluded by urging policymakers and academics to acknowledge the mi
ndset challenge and work together to design policies and research that are relevant to African realities. She called for a collective inward focus to chart Africa’s development path over the coming decades.