African leaders Urged to Increase Regional Economic Integration in 2011

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation joined with the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) to urge leaders from across Africa to make regional economic integration a priority in 2011. As the heads of state and government gathered for the 16th African Union Summit, the Foundation and CoDA convened a meeting with the heads of state to discuss the challenges and obstacles facing greater economic integration and strategies for overcoming.

The focus on regional economic integration follows from the Forum on the topic convened by the Foundation in Mauritius in November where political, business and civil society leaders from across Africa agreed an action plan to move regional economic integration forward.

H.E. Festus Mogae, Chairperson of CoDA and former President of Botswana, thanked the heads of state and government for their participation in and support for CoDA. He said, “Regional integration is an area of particular interest to CoDA. We are discussing and exploring ways CoDA could help to advance the agenda by investigating how the financing of regional integration could, and should, be up-scaled, in particular, through the use of innovative and wide-ranging modalities.”

Joining in calls for increased action towards greater economic integration, Dr Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair of the Foundation said, “It is time for us to accept that in a globalised marketplace, many African countries are sub-scale – are economically unviable. The regional economic integration of Africa is vital if we are to survive, let alone compete. The GDP of all of Africa is less than that of Brazil. It is time to wake up.”

The Foundation and CoDA will continue to work with stakeholders on the agreed action plan to pursue increased economic integration.