On February 16, Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Youssouf emerged the winner of the keenly contested election, defeating Kenya’s former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and Madagascar’s former Foreign Minister, Richard Randriamato. It, therefore, means that Youssouf, who will serve a four-year term, has replaced Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, who held the position for two terms from 2017 to 2025.
Under the new AU leadership for the next four years, wide expectations are that there will be, some sort of strategic policies to reshape especially the entire Africa’s economic system, to drastically address development largely from inside rather than maintaining the status quo, over-dependence on foreign financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Let me underline the fact that at this critical moment, particularly with the current changing geopolitical situation, economic development strategists have reiterated in several reports over the past few years, arguing that Africa’s cutting-edge roadmap must encompass people-centered reforms, probity and accountability, better system of governance, and providing better living conditions. That there must also be the need to take significant steps toward economic integration and collaboration as stipulated in the African Agenda 2063.
