By: Nana Appiah
Acquaye
African Union Development
Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) Chief Executive Officer, H.E. Nardos Bekele-Thomas,
has met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss Africa’s development
priorities and the country’s role in advancing the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The engagement took place at
Mahlamba Ndlopfu in Tshwane, Gauteng, and provided an opportunity to reflect on
South Africa’s contribution to continental development and regional
infrastructure integration.
Discussions highlighted
President Ramaphosa’s role as the African Union Champion of the Presidential
Infrastructure Champion Initiative (PICI), with emphasis on the importance of
sustained political leadership in accelerating regional infrastructure development
and strengthening connectivity across the continent.
The meeting also focused on
the need to translate continental infrastructure ambitions into transformative
projects capable of delivering tangible economic and social benefits for
African communities.
AUDA-NEPAD underscored the
importance of strategic partnerships, evidence-based policymaking and
coordinated action in addressing Africa’s development challenges and
strengthening the continent’s capacity to implement major initiatives.
As Africa’s development
agency, AUDA-NEPAD reaffirmed its commitment to supporting South Africa and
other AU Member States in advancing PICI and translating the priorities of
Agenda 2063 into practical outcomes that improve the lives of Africans.
