On visit to Cameroon:

AU chairperson explains 2063 agenda to Y’de Varsity students

By Rachel NtubeNgwese

The chairperson of the Africa union commission NkosazanaDlaminiZuma was on an official visit to Cameroon to present the union’s new vision for the development of the African continent known as the agenda 2063.

                The agenda she said was adopted as a collective vision and roadmap to speed up actions to eradicate poverty, promote growth and regional integration for the next fifty years.

                Upon arrival, she was received at the university of Yaoundé 2 campus by the minister of higher education, the rector of the university of Yaoundé 2 Ibrahima Adamou and a delegation of the pan African university in Yaoundé. Professor Fame Ndongo in his welcome message appreciated the visit and expressed the constant political wish of Cameroon to re-enforce ties with the African union. He hailed her female leadership under which Cameroon was granted the privilege to host the headquarters of the pan African institute which he announced will in the nearest future boast of a permanent campus.

                Her visit did not leave the students of the University of Yaoundé 2 indifferent. Their enthusiasm was expressed through the numerous questions they addressed to the chairlady with regards to the role of youths and women in the realization of the new African dream as expressed in the new agenda.

                Most importantly, the mobility of students within African institutions was accorded particular attention not only as a tool to foster education but as a major challenge to regional integration.

                The chair lady frowned at frontier protectionist policies of some African states and the in ability of students to access visas easily. she equally condemned the inability of African states to take advantage of the vast water bodies especially the seas and oceans which if well exploited through the development of fleets will help foster regional integration and enable Africa better take advantage to develop the blue economy.

                The agenda 2063 as was presented in the arts building of the University of Yaounde 2 by the chair lady of the African union commission puts together all frameworks and new ideas that will warrant the celebration of another 50 years of existence of the African union. The main objective is to attain a prosperous, peaceful and integrated continent in the next fifty years.

                Other short term objectives include building a spirit of self confidence amongst Africans by encouraging them to think African, live African and better take advantage of the abundant natural riches. The agenda has been broken down into fractions of 10 years development plans. The first draft according to the chair lady is a result of team investigations from member countries drawn from views and aspirations expressed by grass root citizens of the continent with Namibia standing out as the most contributing country.

                It focuses mainly on the development of the continents human and natural resources, the modernization of agriculture, infrastructural development, the improvement of intra-African trade from 12 percent to more than 50 percent, cultural preservation, tourism, and the empowerment of youths and women. She however concluded that all these can only be achieve in an atmosphere of peace, good governance, the respect of human rights and democracy.

                Her visit was equally marked by the signing of the condolence book in honor of former African union executive late William EtekiMbouma in the presence of Cameroons minister of communication IssaTChiromaBakary and the interim president of the Cameroon Red Cross during a stopover she made at the Yaoundé Hilton hotel last Thursday evening.