Leadership Transitions Must Unlock Urgency and Commitment for Agenda 2063 – AUC Chairperson

Addis Ababa, January 30, 2026 (FMC) — Leadership transitions in Africa must go beyond ceremonial handovers and instead generate renewed energy, urgency, and political commitment to accelerate the continent’s Agenda 2063, the Chair of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said yesterday evening.

Delivering the keynote address at the Ministerial Follow-Up Committee on the Implementation of Agenda 2063, Youssouf emphasized that while the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan provides a clear roadmap for action, ambition alone cannot deliver transformation without adequate resources.

He noted that the initiative remains underfinanced, flagship projects continue to face constraints, and institutional capacity for implementation is insufficient.

“This is not a technical failure; it is a political choice,” Youssouf said, warning that maintaining business as usual will not achieve the Africa envisioned under Agenda 2063.

He called for a comprehensive approach that aligns vision with resources, plans with institutional capacity, and oversight with accountability.

The AU Commission Chairperson also stressed the need for the full operationalization of implementation tools, reform-minded governance, and the removal of policy and institutional bottlenecks to ensure effective delivery.

Above all, Youssouf underscored that Agenda 2063 must move beyond meeting rooms into the daily lives of African citizens if the continent’s aspirations are to result in lasting transformation.