Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda says for Africa to continue its recovery from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the leaders of the continent must significantly invest in three important areas that include the “digital capabilities of our people”, innovation and “climate-smart-agriculture”.
Speaking at the third edition of the Kusi Ideas Festival on Friday (10 December) in Accra, Ghana, Kagame said the level of cooperation in Africa since the beginning of the pandemic has been encouraging but more needs to be done to achieve “tangible results”.
According to him, “this past year, much progress has been made towards Africa’s recovery but we still have a long way to go. In Rwanda, we believe that transformation is a continuous process that requires thinking ahead to build a more resilient future. Going forward, as we continue to build the Africa we want, let us apply the same mindset. The Kusi idea is about innovation, for one technology constantly creates new and better ways to share ideas.”
“In essence, that’s what the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aims to facilitate. We need to see significant investment in the digital capabilities of our people especially young people.
“Secondly, climate-smart-agriculture should be scaled up. Even with the dual threat of COVID-19 and food security, as we are currently witnessing, this practice will improve productivity while keeping our environment safe.”
Paul Kagame further stated that “innovations should be introduced in the social protection to adapt to shocks with the support of the private sector. The level of cooperation in Africa since the beginning of the pandemic has been encouraging. Beyond the crisis, we need to continue to work together to see tangible results,” he stated.
“These three items are all part of the important conversations taking place at the Kusi Ideas Festival,” he added.
The Kusi Ideas Festival’s two-day conference is under the theme “How Africa Transforms after the Virus”, and will touch on a number of sub-themes including; taking forward the lessons learnt from leading during the pandemic, new opportunities for accelerating Pan-African trade, opening borders and building back tourism and more.
Nicholas Brown
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa, and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand #KusiFest2021
