A review of the second ten-year implementation plan for Agenda 2063 (2024-2033)

This article is a logical follow-up from last week’s, titled “A review of the first ten-year implementation plan for Agenda 2065,” which regrettably ought to have read “A review of the first ten-year implementation plan for Agenda 2063.” Last week’s article was ‘ex post facto’ or ‘after the fact,’ as the first ten years of Agenda 2063 ended in 2023, while this article is ‘ante facto,’ or ‘before the fact,’ as the second decade of the implementation of Agenda 2063—”The”Africa We Want”—started this year, 2024. The overarching vision of Agenda 2063 is “an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena.”

 “The second ten years have been christened ‘A Decade of Accelerated Development.’”

The long-term continental blueprint is to be executed through five ten-year implementation plans. The first ten years of Agenda 2063 emerged as the ‘Decade of Convergence,’ because African countries were able to come together and take a common position on critical issues relevant to the continent’s development in the true spirit of pan-Africanism. The second ten years have been christened ‘A Decade of Accelerated Development.’

The framework for the implementation of the second ten-year plan is based on the Seven Aspirations of Agenda 2063: 1. A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development; 2: An integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideals of pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance; 3: An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law; 4. A peaceful and secure Africa; 5. An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values, and ethics; 6. An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children; 7. Africa as a strong, united, resilient, and influential global player and partner.

From each of the Seven Aspirations, or seven all-embracing goals of Agenda 2063, is derived a ‘moonshot’ — an ambitious, transformative objective or a proposed solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem—like shooting or launching a rocket to the moon—which will be used to realise the Aspirations. The following are the Seven Moonshots: 1. Every AU Member State attains at least middle-income status; 2: Africa is more integrated and connected; 3: Public institutions are more responsive; 4: Africa resolves conflicts amicably; 5: African culture and values are explicit and promoted; 6: African citizens are more empowered and more productive; and 7: Africa is a strong and influential global player and partner.

Agenda 2063 has twenty goals linked to the achievement of the Seven Aspirations: 1. A high standard of living, quality of life and well-being for all citizens; 2. Well educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology and innovation; 3. Healthy and well-nourished citizens; 4. Transformed economies; 5. Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production; 6. Blue/ocean economy for accelerated economic growth; 7. Environmentally sustainable and climate resilient economies and communities; 8. A United Africa (Federal or Confederate); 9. Continental financial and monetary institutions established and functional; 10. World class infrastructure criss-cross Africa; 11. Democratic values, practices, universal principles of human rights, justice, and the rule of law entrenched; 12. Capable institutions and transformative leadership in place; 13. Peace, security, and stability are preserved; 14. A stable and peaceful Africa; 15. A fully functional and operational African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA); 16. African cultural renaissance is preeminent; 17. Full gender equality in all spheres of life; 18. engaged and empowered youth and children; 19. Africa as a major partner in global affairs and peaceful coexistence; 20. Africa takes full responsibility for financing her development goals.

In the first ten-year implementation plan, these twenty goals were linked with the Seven Aspirations and were to be used to achieve them. In the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan, Seven Moonshots were drawn out of the Seven Aspirations, which are also to be used to achieve the twenty goals through a strategic objective linked to each of the twenty goals. “Furthermore, the Plan highlights three significant pathways that will guide the implementation, namely AU continental frameworks, regional frameworks, and national development plans.” The continental frameworks include the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), the Programme for Infrastructural Development in Africa (PIDA), the African Mining Vision (AMV), the Science Technology Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT), and Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA). These frameworks are to be used to plan regional and national development plans.

The foregoing essentially constitutes the framework for the implementation of the second ten-year plan of Agenda 2063. There also has been a substantial confluence of Agenda 2063 goals with the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) five operational priorities (High 5s) related to mobilising resources for the achievement of Agenda 2063; and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The African Union has reached a far-reaching agreement with the United Nations in this regard with the fusion of the United Nations Agenda 2030 or the SDGs into the AU Agenda 2063. Both organisations are committed to the principle of “Two Agendas, One Plan” in whatever they do. A study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) shows that achieving AfDB’s High 5s will lead to achieving 90 percent of the Agenda 2063 and the SDGs in Africa.

However, there are two major challenges confronting the second ten-year implementation plan of Agenda 2063: domestication at the regional and national levels and the costing of the plan so as to ensure that adequate resources are mobilised, mostly at the national level, to achieve the plan. These are the challenges before Nigeria and other African nations.

Mr Igbinoba is Team Lead/CEO at ProServe Options Consulting, Lagos.