The President of Harakatiza Muungano (Union Movement), Kwame Danquah, has urged African leaders to pursue bold political and economic reforms to accelerate development across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking at the Harakatiza Muungano conference in Accra, Mr Danquah said the movement seeks to unite Africans around a shared vision of building a stronger, more prosperous continent through regional cooperation and integration.
He explained that the conference was organised to reaffirm the commitment of Africans to work together in promoting sustainable development for both present and future generations.
According to him, Africa’s continued dependence on exporting raw materials and trading mainly with countries outside the continent has left many economies vulnerable to global financial shocks.
He stressed that stronger regional cooperation would help reduce this dependence while creating new opportunities for industrial growth and economic resilience.
Mr Danquah cited figures from the World Bank indicating that Africa’s combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was about US$ 3 trillion in 2023, accounting for only a small share of the global economy.
He also noted that the continent contributes just three per cent of world trade. In addition, he referenced African Union data showing that trade among African countries stands at around 15 per cent, far below Europe’s 60 per cent and Asia’s 40 per cent.
He emphasised the need for African governments to invest heavily in education, technology and infrastructure to prepare the continent’s youthful population for the future.
With Africa’s population expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, and more than 60 per cent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30, he said the continent must create opportunities through industrialisation and skills development to avoid rising unemployment and poverty.
Mr Danquah also expressed concern over the growing number of young Africans risking dangerous journeys abroad in search of better opportunities.
He argued that stronger regional integration would create larger markets, improve labour mobility and generate sustainable jobs across the continent.
To strengthen social protection, he proposed the establishment of a continental “Social Security Penta-Fund” to support housing, healthcare, education, savings, pensions and long-term investment.
He said such a framework would provide reliable funding for development while improving the welfare of workers in both the formal and informal sectors.
Mr Danquah concluded by calling on participants to champion the vision of a politically united and economically integrated Sub-Saharan Africa capable of delivering lasting prosperity, peace and security for future generations.
