The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete, today asserted that Africa must strategically combine frontier technologies and regional integration to shift from being shaped by global forces to actively shaping them.
Speaking at the Fourth Session of the Committee on Private Sector Development in Addis Ababa, Gatete urged member States to view integration and innovation as "mutually reinforcing" engines for sustainable growth. The session was held under the theme: “Leveraging frontier technologies and innovation to advance regional integration for sustainable and inclusive growth.”
Gatete acknowledged that Africa faces considerable global headwinds—including geopolitical tensions, tight finances, and climate change—alongside internal challenges like fragmented markets. However, he emphasized the continent's distinct assets: the world’s youngest population, vast renewable energy potential, expanding digital ecosystems, and the 1.4 billion-person market of the AfCFTA.
He highlighted the immense economic potential of combining these assets:
Generative AI: Gatete estimated that if Africa captures just 5% of the annual productivity increase from Generative AI, it would translate into over US$220 billion each year, effectively adding a new mid-sized African economy annually.
Existing Successes: He pointed to successful regional innovations, such as mobile money transforming financial systems, drones delivering medicine, and the near 40% growth in instant payment systems between 2019 and 2023, which is already accelerating integration.
To fully capitalize on the AfCFTA and the technology boom, the Executive Secretary offered three key recommendations for member States:
Build Enabling Infrastructure: Africa must invest heavily in interoperable digital ID systems, cross-border data centers, and modern logistics networks to create the physical and digital backbone required for technology to scale across borders.
Empower the Private Sector: The continent must mobilize affordable capital, foster resilient innovation ecosystems, and expand regulatory sandboxes to allow SMEs, especially those led by youth and women, to drive continental value chains.
Accelerate Regulatory Harmonization: Gatete stressed that innovators cannot thrive while navigating 54 different regulatory environments. He called for fast-tracking convergence on standards for digital trade, investment, and data governance to maximize the benefits of the AfCFTA.
In closing, Gatete assured delegates of the ECA's continued commitment to providing actionable data and technical support, urging them to translate the day’s discussions into concrete cooperation and measurable outcomes for Africa’s future.
