President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has called on African leaders to move beyond repeated discussions about continental integration and take concrete steps to promote the free movement of people, goods and services.
Speaking at a high-level event on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York, Dangote said Africans must take greater responsibility for developing the continent and creating opportunities for future generations.
“But what my brother said, His Excellency Mkele, is that we need to really, really get together, you know, in the continent,” Dangote said.
“Then nobody will come and develop our continent but us.”
Dangote said restrictions on movement within Africa continue to undermine opportunities for investment and stronger economic cooperation among countries on the continent.
“So the issue about all these visas, free movement of people, goods and services. We’ve been talking about it for long and we’re really tired of talking,” he said. “So we need to act now.”
He questioned why Africans should face difficulties obtaining visas to travel within the continent while people from outside Africa can sometimes enter African countries more easily.
“I mean, I’ve always wondered, why are we not allowing ourselves to visit each other?” he asked.
“If I’m not going to have a visa to a country, for example, even in Africa, why should I invest?”
“Why are you allowing a European, let me not say whether British or an European, to visit Africa much, much more easier than me as an African? It does not make sense.”
Dangote also called for greater confidence in Africa and its people, arguing that concerns about security should not prevent African countries from pursuing deeper integration.
“We have to get together. We have to believe in our continent. We have to invest there,” he said.
“It is not only for us, it’s for the future of next and next generation.”
Dangote said Africa’s youthful population presents significant opportunities for economic growth, but stressed the need to translate discussions about the continent’s potential into tangible development.
“This is a very young, vibrant, you know, population. Most of the population in most other areas, they’re aging,” he said.
“But the promise that we have, the potentials that we have in Africa is enormous. But some of us were really tired of talking about these potentials. We need to turn them into reality.”
Dangote also disclosed that his group has rolled out an investment programme of about $46 billion through 2030, with the investments focused across Africa.
“I mean, and so that’s why what you are saying, you are right. We have now done this eight years. It’s been a very, very rough and tough eight years. But now we have actually rolled out an investment of almost $50 billion, 46 billion to be precise, between now and 2030,” he said.
“And that’s across Africa, not anywhere outside Africa, because we believe in Africa. We believe in the future of Africa. And I’m sure Africa will be great.”
“This is the time that we’re seeing Africa rising, not that time.”
The remarks come amid renewed discussions at UNGA81 on African industrialisation, regional integration and the mobilisation of capital to support development across the continent.
Dangote has in recent months also advocated greater African participation in the ownership and financing of major industrial projects.
His comments at UNGA81 further emphasised the need for increased African investment and stronger economic integration to help translate the continent’s resources, youthful population and economic potential into sustainable development.
