President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says Africa must forge stronger partnerships, and move boldly to tackle the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said it was imperative that the continent abandoned half-hearted partnerships, and develop new approaches that support self-sustaining economic growth and development to recover from the scourge of the pandemic.
He was speaking on Wednesday at the opening of African Development Bank group’s (AfDB) virtual 2021 Annual Meetings.
President Akufo-Addo noted that Africa could not afford to ignore the significant challenge facing it as a result of the pandemic, which had claimed some 130,000, pushed its economies into contraction and exposed its structural fragility.
He said the continent ought to seek new pathways to recover from challenges of the COVID-19, saying, “In an unprecedented global event of this magnitude, we must engineer a response that will help accelerate our structural transformation.”
“Our will in seeing it through must be total,” he emphasized.
The three-day Annual Meetings is being held on the theme, “Building Resilient Economies in Post COVID-19 Africa.” The meetings will provide a platform for the Bank’s Board of Governors to share their countries’ experience in addressing the pandemic and the policy measures they are employing to rebuild economies and livelihoods.
Commending the AfDB for its coordinated response to address the economic fragilities arising from the pandemic, President Akufo-Addo urged that the bank be resourced “to position it as the catalyst for our economic advancement.”