May 30, 2025 — African leaders, economists, and development experts gathered this week at the African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings in Côte d’Ivoire with a renewed sense of urgency: transform Africa’s vast capital human, natural, financial, and digital into long-term growth. Under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” the summit focused on actionable strategies for the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
A key session, “Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan for Agenda 2063,” emphasized rethinking national strategies to overcome persistent challenges like youth unemployment, skill gaps, and weak industrial growth.
Koffi N’Guessan, Ivory Coast’s Minister of Vocational Training, said the continent stands at a defining moment. “With over 60% of Africans under 25, we either invest in education and job readiness now or risk losing an entire generation’s potential,” he warned.
Despite progress during the first implementation phase (2013–2023), deep-rooted issues remain. Nearly one in four Africans aged 15–24 are neither in school nor employed. N’Guessan called for stronger vocational systems that align education with labor market needs.
Another major point: revaluing Africa’s wealth. Hervé Lohouès of AfDB’s Country Economics Department highlighted that current GDP metrics severely undervalue African economies by excluding natural capital like forests, water, and minerals.
“If you account for natural assets, the GDP of the Central African Republic could increase threefold,” he said. He urged governments to legally integrate natural capital into national accounting and turn raw resources into value-added products.
Digital transformation also emerged as a game-changer. Dagmawit Moges Bekele, Director at the African Union Commission, stressed the need for digital infrastructure investment particularly in underserved regions to close inequality gaps and expand market access.
UNDP’s Jide Okeke echoed these views, advocating for skills-building in the digital economy and expanding gender equity. “Africa’s young population must be digitally empowered if we want sustainable, inclusive growth,” he said.
As Agenda 2063 enters its second ten-year phase (2024–2033), leaders stressed the importance of national development plans that align with the vision. Recommendations included:
Incorporating natural capital in GDP
Reforming education for job-readiness and digital skills
Attracting private and diaspora investment
Strengthening public-private partnerships in health, energy, and infrastructure
With increasing global attention and deeper intra-African trade under the AfCFTA, stakeholders agreed that Africa has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a global force if the right policies are implemented now.
“Agenda 2063 is not just a vision it must be a roadmap backed by commitment and bold reforms,” said N’Guessan.