“In its march toward emergence, Africa cannot accept to be perpetually dependent on the export of raw materials, which is often poorly paid and at changing prices. An emerging Africa is an Africa that is transforming its own commodities so as to create value chains, generate jobs and overcome endemic youth unemployment.”
The Senegalese head of state was presiding over the opening ceremony of the 3rd International Conference on the Emergence of Africa (ICAE-III), whose theme is: “Emergence, the Private Sector and Inclusiveness”.
President Sall called on African countries to reform, innovate and pursue efforts to improve the business environment, with a view to attract more private investment and benefit from the opportunities for corporate relocation.
“Public policies in our countries should continue to support the creation and development of a viable and competitive national private sector. It is also a key step on the road to emergence”.
President Macky Sall took the opportunity to urge for “reasonable access” to credit for African countries, stressing that “we cannot always be blamed for taking risks.”
In the opinion of the head of state, “there is no more risk in Africa than in some developed countries, since the black continent keeps paying its debts despite the difficulties.”
In addition, President Sall expressed a preference for long-term credit at reasonable rates in a collaboration “in which everyone wins, because today, if we build power plants in Africa, the technologies are not African.”
According to the President Sall, with too much technological dependence, “there will be growth for countries mastering technology. However, there must be a transfer of technologies so that in five or 10 years, we can domesticate them and be able tomorrow to build our own power plants.”
The conference is being attended by the president of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, and Mahathir Mohamad, the Malaysian Prime Minister, who in their speeches in panel meetings both called for greater political stability in African states.