President Paul Kagame believes Africa could mobilise $1.2 trillion to achieve Sustainable Development Goals
Africa requires at least $1.2 trillion every year to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 targets that were endorsed in September 2015, a high-level conference in Kigali has been told.
Out of the estimated $1.2 trillion annual budget required to achieve SDGs in Africa, the continent needs to set aside $25 billion annually to achieve universal access to modern energy services by 2030; $18 billion for climate change adoption, $210 billion for basic infrastructure, food security, health, security and climate change mitigation.
Speaking at the event, President Paul Kagame said it’s time for Africans to take advantage of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and close the gap surrounding challenges on the continent.
The head of state was speaking during the first gathering at SDGs Centre for Africa which was also launched today. Kagame is the founding chair of SDGs Centre which aims at supporting SDGs’ achievements in all parts of Africa.
“The global goals shouldn’t be seen as external agenda but as an integrated part of a country’s development vision,” Kagame told delegates gathered at Radisson Blu and Convention Centre in the capital Kigali.
For Rwanda, Kagame said, “A participatory approach has been indispensable to the modest progress achieved. But we can all do more and better.”
Kagame challenged the private sector on the continent to play a key role in ensuring generation of funding for SDGs.
“Raising our focus from reducing poverty to building prosperity requires collaboration and higher expectations of private sector,” the president said.
Dr. Belay Begashaw – Director General of Sustainable Development Goals Centre for Africa said the SDGs present a significant opportunity for Africa to lead the World in problem solving on sustainable development.
For instance, he said; “Africa’s natural resources are abundant, its people are entrepreneurial and its political governance is improving.”
He said that if all these resources are properly managed and directed, they can create solutions for long term sustainable development of the continent.
Rwanda was globally recognized for being leader in achieving 8 Millennium Development Goals known as MDGs.
With the new 17 goals under SDGs, president Kagame advised African countries to borrow lessons from MDGs and translate them into new SDGs.
“We need to integrate lessons from the MDGs, particularly promoting gender equality and harnessing science and technology,” he said.
Rwanda is host of SDGs Centre for Africa. Kagame co-chairs the Centre along with 15 other members including Prof. Jeffrey Sachs – Director of US-based earth Institute, Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, African Development Bank president, among other members.
Adopted by all 193 UN Member States, the SDGs are 17 ambitious goals to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change for everyone by 2030, among other goals.
