WTO Director-General Urges African Leaders to Look Inward for Funding Opportunities

Addis Ababa: Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has urged African leaders to look inward for funding opportunities to accelerate the continent's socio-economic development. She emphasized the potential of raising funds through value addition to natural resources, utilizing pension funds for patient capital, and pricing carbon emissions innovatively.According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala made this appeal during her address at the Heads of State and Government breakfast dialogue at the AU Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event, themed 'Africa at the Forefront: Mobilizing African Investment and Financing for Implementing Agenda 2063', was hosted by President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana. The dialogue took place on the sidelines of the AU Summit, under the auspices of the Alliance of African Multilateral Financing Institutions, also known as the African Club.Dr. Okonjo-Iweala urged African leaders to reduce borrowing and discove r innovative ways to attract and sustain investments within the continent. She emphasized the importance of sustaining incoming investments for Africa's development. A high-level panel discussion further explored strategies for mobilizing African finance to achieve Agenda 2063 priorities.