Former AUC Chairperson Urges Africa to Restructure Economic Systems

Former AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has urged African nations to transition from raw material exporters to hubs of value-added production. In an interview with ENA, she described the continent's poverty despite its natural wealth as the "African paradox." Dlamini-Zuma emphasized that processing minerals locally, prioritizing food self-sufficiency through better land use, and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are essential for prosperity. She highlighted the need for a "skills revolution" to employ youth locally rather than losing them to emigration. Furthermore, she called for the ratification of the 2018 protocol on the free movement of people to facilitate trade, stressing that Africa must unite its diplomatic voice on the global stage to be effective.