“Never let a good crisis go to waste” — Otchere-Darko on Africa’s funding cuts
Africa should use declining Western development funding as an opportunity to accelerate self-reliance and deepen continental integration, a leading policy advocate has said. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), said recent cuts to external funding could serve as a turnin...
Africa should use declining Western development funding as an opportunity to accelerate self-reliance and deepen continental integration, a leading policy advocate has said.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), said recent cuts to external funding could serve as a turning point for Africa’s economic strategy.
“The bottom line is, although this may have a negative impact in the short term, it is an opportunity for Africa to become self-reliant,” he said during the AU Day “Make Africa Borderless Now” webinar on Monday (25 May).
He urged African leaders to leverage the moment to push forward the continent’s single market agenda, arguing that integration remains key to unlocking prosperity.
“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” he said, adding that the current environment should galvanise efforts to implement long-standing continental frameworks.
Otchere-Darko said initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and free movement protocols must move from policy declarations to concrete implementation.
He stressed that Africa’s economic future depends on re