Addis Ababa, June 11, 2026 (FMC) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has emphasized that Africa already possesses the resources, talent, and ideas needed for transformation, but must strengthen execution and implementation capacity to achieve sustained and job-rich growth.
Delivering remarks at the opening of the inaugural Africa Development Impact Forum in Addis Ababa, UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete said the continent’s development challenge is no longer a lack of solutions, but the limited ability to scale and implement proven ones.
He stressed that Africa must move decisively from policy formulation to execution in order to convert development strategies into measurable outcomes that benefit citizens across the continent.
Gatete noted that Africa is operating in a rapidly changing global environment characterized by climate shocks, geopolitical tensions, rising debt vulnerabilities, disruptions in global supply chains, and accelerated technological change driven by artificial intelligence, which is reshaping industries and labour markets.
He also pointed to declining official development assistance and tightening global financing conditions, warning that African countries can no longer rely on traditional external funding models and must instead prioritize domestic resource mobilization, investment attraction, and industrial development.
Despite these challenges, he underscored Africa’s strong demographic position, noting that more than 60 percent of the population is under the age of 25, with over 15 million young people entering the labour market each year.
However, he expressed concern over persistent youth unemployment and informality, citing International Labour Organization estimates that 53 million young Africans were not in employment, education, or training in 2023.
Gatete said Africa’s structural challenge lies in ensuring that this demographic advantage translates into productive employment and inclusive economic growth.
He highlighted that the continent also holds significant opportunities, including abundant natural resources, a rapidly expanding digital economy, growing urban markets, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he said could increase intra-African trade by up to 45 percent by 2045.
According to him, Africa already has successful development models across different countries, but the key issue remains their replication and scaling at continental level.
He cited examples including industrial development in Ethiopia, Kenya’s digital economy, Rwanda’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, Egypt’s manufacturing base, and Morocco’s automotive sector as evidence that viable solutions already exist within the continent.
Gatete explained that the Africa Development Impact Forum was established to bridge the gap between evidence and implementation by linking research, policy, investment, and enterprise development into a coordinated framework focused on measurable impact.
He outlined five priority areas for job-rich growth: strengthening skills development, scaling enterprises beyond survival, accelerating industrialization and value addition, leveraging AfCFTA for regional value chains, and reinforcing implementation capacity and accountability.
He stressed that without effective execution, even well-designed policies risk failing to deliver meaningful results.
Over the next two days, the forum will feature thematic discussions, innovation showcases, and collaborative sessions aimed at identifying scalable solutions for job creation and inclusive development.
Gatete concluded by urging African stakeholders to focus on execution, saying the continent already has the resources, talent, and ideas needed to transform its economic trajectory.
By Mesafint Brlie