Create Single Markets for Youth Job Creation- Vice President Urges African Leaders As She Opens African Prosperity Dialogue
The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has underscored the need to break down barriers and create a single market to unlock opportunities and create jobs for the youth of Africa.
By doing so, she said, “we can also let millions out of poverty”.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, who was addressing the opening of a three-day Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2025 in Accra yesterday, said the integration of the continent was not just a theoretical concept but a lifeline to the collective future of the continent.
Background
The conference, which is being organised by the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) in collaboration with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, is on the theme: “Delivering Africa’s single market through infrastructure; Invest, connect, integrate”.
It is being attended by over 3,000 delegates from 46 countries, including heads of state, institutional heads, industry leaders, chief executives, entrepreneurs, ministers, policymakers, thought leaders and development partners across the continent and other parts of the world.
Describing such dialogues as unique, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said it had rightly brought together voices from diverse sectors and ensured that the global market of Africa was inclusive and representative.
For example, she said, women had long been at the forefront of trade on the continent and dominated cross-border businesses, although “we continue to face significant barriers, from cumbersome regulations to inadequate infrastructure”
Call to action
The Vice-President said the theme for the dialogues was a call to action for all to accelerate the journey of Africa towards integration and shared prosperity.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said Ghana had since independence remained steadfast in its commitment to the integration and unity of the African continent, and continued to champion the cause by actively supporting initiatives such as the AfCFTA, headquartered in Accra.
She, therefore, commended the APN and the AfCFTA Secretariat for creating the APD platform, which, she said, brought together leaders across the board to dialogue and find solutions to lasting, sustainable development.
source:newsflashafrica.com
