We’re in Dubai Expo 2020 to network, showcase Africa for investment — AU Expo Commissioner

THE African Union has promised to leverage on the longstanding economic partnerships between Africa and the United Arab Emirates as well as showcase the continent-wide commitment to sustainable development through the AU Agenda 2063.

The AU Expo Commissioner-General, Dr Levi Uche Madueke, who disclosed this at a TV interview on Newzroom Afrika said “for the African Union, Expo 2020 Dubai offers an opportunity to further entrench the relationship between the two regions and to showcase, connect Africa as safe for investment.

Dr Madueke said “We are maintaining strong ties with the United Arab Emirates and as a matter of fact, UAE understands the importance of the relationship with Africa and that is why they have invited the African Union (AU) to participate in the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020.

“Also we are going to capitalise on the mega project management skills that exist within the UAE and see how we can begin to assure connectivity between our private sector and the private sector of the region circle/circuit.

“It is important to point out that Africa is undergoing dynamic socio-economic and political transformation which the world is yet to know about, and we believe the time has come for us to take charge of our narrative and claim our rightful place at the global arena. This is the reason we are here, to tell our story in the best manner; the way we want it and the best way.

“First of all we are here to showcase Africa as open and ready for business. We will have the avenue of telling the world about investment opportunities; showcasing our natural endowment and telling the world that Africa is secure place for investment.

“Most importantly, throughout the expo, we will be looking at connecting Africa with innovators, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, business managers, research and development, tech financiers and their contemporaries across the globe with a view to building  stronger partnership and concluding business deals.

African countries that will be participating here from the southern, central, eastern, western and northern regions of Africa will be coming here to showcase their prowess and make sure the world understands what makes them strong and the opportunities that exist in the countries in the regions mentioned. We will be looking forwarding to working with the regions as one.”

Speaking on the AU agenda, Dr Madueke said agenda 2063 is the African Union blueprint for development. You may recall that it was in 2013 that we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity. We thought that the time has come for us to set projection for another 50 years, and that is why with the Agenda 2063, we have mapped out seven aspirations.

“The first on the agenda is prosperity, which ensures that we have inclusive and sustainable growth, Secondly, integration; to ensure that we work with our regions and countries. Thirdly; governance, to put in place what we call the African governance architecture to make sure that we promote good governance and the rule of law. Fourthly is peace.

We have also instituted what we call the African peace and security architecture to ensure that we monitor the situation in Africa and we have also created what we call the early warning system to make sure that any sign of conflict that is coming up, we will be able to arrest it before it escalates.

“Also, we have culture. This year, we have the theme for the African Union as ‘Culture and Heritage-limbers for Building the Africa we Want’. The sixth is people-driven; we want to make sure that we are the initiators, the originators of what we do. We want to be seen as that Africa that produces, generates and exports, and we no longer want to be that Africa that has been turned into a trading ground.

“And the last is influence; we want to  be the Africa that is strong, strategic and ready to take its rightful place at the global arena. That is exactly what we are here to do, and to tell our story the way it has never been told before.”