The leaders and experts made the call yesterday at the United Bank for Africa's (UBA) 2020 Africa Day Conversations, with the theme: "Growth, Jobs, and Sustainable Development Amidst a global Pandemic," that was moderated by the Chairman of the bank, Mr. Tony Elumelu.
The President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah, who was also among the panelists, said Africa must leverage the opportunities that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) provided to facilitate trade and economic growth in the region.
"The pandemic has shown so many weaknesses we have across our continent, not only from the point of view of infrastructure but from the appropriate economic policies that would help drive growth and also help manage events of the kind we are experiencing today," he added.
African governments need to accept the support of the private sector in alleviating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa," he said.
The pandemic is a wake-up call for Africa - creating new streams of revenue and self-reliance by the African continent."
