The peoples and countries of Africa must consolidate to maintain and solidify their position in today's world, which is undergoing great upheaval, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.
"In an increasingly complex, dynamic and rapidly changing global world, unity is no longer a slogan but a means of survival," Ahmed noted. "There is a need to strengthen Africa's position in today's world by giving Africa a seat on the Security Council and proportional representation in the Group of Seven (G7) and Group of Twenty (G20)."
The prime minister noted that Africa is now the second most populous continent, with more than 1.4 billion people and by 2050, more than half of the world's population growth is expected to come from Africa.
In this context, Ahmed underlined, "paying attention to Africa means paying attention to a continent that will be home to a quarter of humanity by 2050."
According to the head of the Ethiopian government, Africa is rich in natural resources, which must be used to unlock the potential of the peoples of the continent.
"African countries endowed with natural wealth must mobilize the productive capacity and ingenuity of our youth by applying it to agriculture, industry and technology," Ethiopia's leader said. "We must continue to unleash the potential of our people, to help them turn our continent into the Africa we want to have."
Ahmed specified that the ways to achieve this should include fight against corruption, the creation of favorable conditions for local and international investment and improvement of all social security systems, including public services.
May 25 marks Africa Day, established 60 years ago with the birth of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Its successor is the African Union, formed in the summer of 2002.
Throughout the day, African capitals will host ceremonies with the participation of heads of state and government, social and cultural events dedicated to various aspects of life in Africa, folk festivals, accompanied by dancing and tasting national dishes.