Redoubling Efforts Towards Translating Founding–fathers’ Dream

February 19, 2023

Dreaming big triggers aspirants passion to throw their full weight behind envisioned goals and set objectives. It as well allows them to muster their energy and courage towards crystalizing visions. Such a dream serves like a lodestar that guards the course of a ship.

In cognizance of this fact, in 1963, the founding countries of the organization of Africa Union (OAU) dreamed big. Locking arms, they made a point unshackling the continent from the chains of colonization and exploitation. They managed to stave off such revolting subjugation. The reason for establishment of OAU that transformed in to African Union (AU) resides in uniting Africa to render it robust.

Joining arms, most of them pledged to work for the wellbeing of their respective citizens. Regional economic integration also topped their agenda. Hitting the last nail on the coffin of poverty ensuring socioeconomic take-off was their cherished dream.

As colonizers constructed few roads simply to connect mining and plantation areas to ports so that products could easily find their way to European markets, the road infrastructure in current day Africa could not that much help to connect countries one another to attain trade and economic integration and straighten knotty issues pertaining to the movement of goods and people.

To make up for this, attempts are underway to create a communication network via road, rail, air and sea transport. Take for instance Ethiopia’s push in this regard. It has ensured road transport with Kenya and North Sudan as well as rail transport with Djibouti. Apart from this, Ethiopian is connecting African countries and Africa with the rest of the world. Ethiopia as well is tapping into digital technology clicking with South Africa.

Africa, referred by colonizers the Dark Continent, is power hungry. Let alone catapult to development heights via industrialization, it is expected to illumine development backwaters in the continent. Developmental thrusts to this effect have to be encouraged. It is mind full of this fact, Ethiopia gave birth to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is believed to play a salient role in feeding the region electricity— lifeblood of industrialization.

Africa is expected to work towards financial integration by harmonizing financial institutions at regional level and establishing regulatory policies and institutions. Economic and commercial integrations are also called for. Here it seems appropriate to mention National Bank of E’s (NBE’s) venture in South Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti.

Institutional integration is one area that needs attention for the sought-for continental integration. Courts and parliaments come to the front line. Africans must come up with feasible projects that could serve a bed rock for a joint growth via coordinated researches and brainstorming.

Seen via the aforementioned light, there is a lot to be desired for Africa. First and foremost, the region must work towards ensuring tranquility. It must silence the gun especially in corners proved strife-ridden. To alleviate resource constraint, member countries are expected to finance such and similar ventures that cross fertilize with regional integration and common growth.

Africa has to learn to stand on its own feet to cushion the negative influences of superpowers that revoltingly poke their nose for their own benefits. Especially it must be on its guard against those that keep a poker face changing their cap of a predator. Otherwise African solution to African problems cannot bear fruit. Redoubling efforts towards translating founding–fathers dream is obligatory.

The Ethiopian  Herald February 19/2023