|
<< Back
Poser >>
|
Africa is losing $40b a year to illicit financial flows in the extractive sector |
Mr. Antonio Pedro, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), has said that Africa is experiencing significant losses, estimated at around $40 billion annually, due to illicit financial flows (IFFs) in the extractive sector. Such financial losses not only hinder developmental progress but also exacerbate economic injustices, depriving African populations of access to essential resources and underscoring the connection between IFFs and the pursuit of reparatory justice.
He argued that IFFs in the extractive sector were one of the symptoms of a serious structural problem compounding Africa’s development, i.e. its excessive dependence on the export of raw materials, an extractivist model and construct inherited from colonial times. He noted that exporting raw materials was exporting jobs, a luxury that the continent cannot afford given the need to create at least 20 millions jobs annually for the youth. As such, addressing IFFS and its root causes should be at the centre of Africa’s development policy and action.
Mr. Pedro was a panelist at the High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) held on Friday, 30 May 2025, in New York, to draw the curtain on the month-long 2025 African Dialogue Series (ADS), on the theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” It was organised by the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, and the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the UN, in collaboration with various UN agencies, including the ECA. The Africa Dialogue Series (ADS) is an annual event that brings together global leaders to discuss pressing issues impacting Africa and its diaspora, focused on the AU theme of the year.
He underscored that addressing these critical challenges is essential for fostering Africa’s self-reliance and attaining sustainable development. He indicated that with the adoption of strategic frameworks such as the African Mining Vision and the African Green Minerals Strategy, which advocate for resource-driven industrialisation and value addition, the continent has the necessary instruments to guarantee that its abundant mineral resources promote economic emancipation, employment generation and benefit local communities. The focus should be in operationalising those frameworks.
He emphasised that advancing local content and reforming the global financial and governance systems are crucial for mitigating IFFs and advancing African development goals. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of global collaboration and sustainable development. Consequently, he called upon African nations to unite and build common voice and positions in order to advocate for their interests on the international platform effectively. He posited that to achieve transformational change, mineral, trade, industrial, energy, infrastructure development, and international relations policies should be implemented in an integrated and coherent manner.
Mr. Pedro stressed that it is a joint responsibility of governments, mining enterprises, local communities, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to bridge the gaps of perception on what constitutes benefits and work together to prioritise sustainable development in the extractive sector.
Mr. Pedro commended the 2025 Africa Dialogue Series for providing a forum conducive to meaningful discourse on reparations and justice for Africans and people of African descent.
“As we advance, prioritising sustainable development and tackling the systemic problems that perpetuate IFFs, along with reparatory measures, is a crucial step to achieving justice for Africa. In doing so, we have the potential to unlock Africa’s true capabilities and promote a more equitable global system,” he said.
|
Ghana Business News |
|
President Barrow receives special envoy from Nigeria
The Summit will foster dialogue among African leaders to discuss issues relating to harnessing intra-regional trade and investment, policies around regional integration, peace and security, and tackle challenges such as poverty and unemployment across West African region.President Barrow conveyed his gratitude to President Tinubu for sending a Special Envoy. He further commended Nigeria’s leadership in the sub-region and the initiative to host the first West Africa Economic Summit. He
|
World Bank cuts global growth forecast to 2.3% for 2025
If current projections hold, average global growth in the first seven years of the 2020s would be the slowest of any decade since the 1960s.The post World Bank cuts global growth forecast to 2.3% for 2025 appeared first on Premium Times
|
Stock Market Resume on Profit-taking Note, Drops by N377.9bn
Kayode Tokede  The Nigerian stock market resumed after the Sallah holiday on a downward trend, dropping by N377.9 billion on investors profit-taking in MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and 24
|
Gambia launches $25M SWEDD+ project to empower women, girls
Signed in 2020, the five-year agreement between the government of The Gambia and the World Bank seeks to improve access to reproductive, maternal, and child health services, reduce early marriage and pregnancy; and promote women’s education and economic autonomy. At its core, the project also supports adolescent development through safe spaces, small grants, and community-based behavioral change strategies.World Bank Country Representative Franklin Mutahakana described the launch as part
|
Air Senegal scandal: 5 planes grounded, Ousmane Sonko steps in
At the center of the controversy: five L410NG aircraft, manufactured by the Czech company Omnipol. These 19-seat planes, little known on the international air market, were acquired under the regime of former President Macky Sall, then sold to Air Senegal for a symbolic franc. The operation, which featured a lavish official reception—in the presence of former Prime Minister Sidiki Kaba, among others—has now proven to be a financial waste with no operational value.According
|
‘Criminalising insults against only president, public officials, discriminatory’
By Tabora Bojang Human rights and good governance activist group the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice EFSCR, has expressed concern and reservations about a provision in the Criminal Offences Act which criminalises insults against senior government officials with a jail term of between 1 to 6 months. The law was contained in
|
|