Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has implored African Leaders to unite and rescue the Content from the Shackles of the West.
Kaguta, speaking during the Opening Ceremony of the Ateker Cultural Festival, in Soroti, said begging has never made anyone rich, noting that if this had been the case, Africa would have been the wealthiest in the world.
“Can prosperity be achieved by begging from other countries? If that was the case, then all the African countries would be very prosperous because they have excelled in that enterprise, all these years. So, would Latin America from where you see desperate throngs of people walking on foot and going to the prosperous USA,” he said.
Museveni, explained that prosperity doesn’t come from begging but rather producing a good or a service, with while assessing the optimal returns, sustainably and selling the good or somebody using that service and paying the service provider.
“ In that case, the producer of the good or the service, will get income and solve the problem of food, shelter (house), clothing, health, education for the children as well as creating jobs for other citizens and paying taxes to support the country,” he said.
Yoweri, stated that when people wake up and start producing goods and services with proper calculation, neither the tribal market nor the country market, can be enough.
“ If that is the answer for achieving prosperity, then the next question is who will buy those goods and services sustainably and on large scale so that your prosperity is sustainably supported? Here, we get to the question of the market. If you produce goods and services with calculation to solve your problem of prosperity, who will buy those products sustainably and on a big scale enough to sustain your prosperity? Is the market in your tribe enough?” he Posed.
In his calls for regional and continental integration, Museveni cited Latin America as one of those continents which are not integrated and citizens trek to go to “heaven” in USA yet their countries have more natural resources than the US.
"In my view, the answer is integration- economic and political versus fragmentation. Political and economic integration among similar, linked or contiguous People, appropriately done, means strength and prosperity while political and market fragmentation, means weakness and misery on account of poverty and insecurity,” Museveni said.
Leaders across Africa have echoed the Calls for a united front towards tackling the continent's reliability on the west, reducing seeking debts from International Lenders like IMF and World Bank, plus removing trade barriers and having a Common Visa for Africans.
Speaking at the 4th African Sub-Sovereign Government Network (AfSNET) Investment Conference in Kisumu this week, Kenya's President William Ruto emphasised the role of Financial institutions in fostering Africa’s economic growth amidst mounting global challenges.
Ruto pointed out that Africa’s economic growth projections hinge on financial institutions’ ability to mobilise resources and provide support to governments and public sectors.
He said the continent’s pressing issues including slowed global trade, escalating energy costs, high food prices, and a growing public debt burden are the greatest impediment to growth.
These challenges, he stressed, necessitate urgent and collective interventions by African states to enhance economic resilience and drive intra-African trade.
“Africa faces a profound economic crisis fuelled by various global and domestic challenges,” Ruto said.
“Committed and consistent collective action is essential to deepen integration, strengthen resilience, and promote greater levels of intra-Africa trade.” he added.
He called on monetary institutions to adopt innovative mechanisms tailored to Africa’s unique financing needs.
President Ruto, linked these innovations to the ambitions of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to unify the continent’s economies and unlock new opportunities.
By creating a conducive environment for investments in job creation, industrialisation, and exports, he argued, Africa could accelerate its transformation and strengthen its position in global value chains.