The African Union's (AU) institutional reforms should be capitalized on to ensure the continent's financial self-sufficiency, Kenyan President William Ruto has said at an AU meeting.
According to the leader, currently more than 60% of the budget of pan-African programs is financed by foreign partners, which is "starkly inconsistent" with Africa's self-sustainability.
"The demands of our challenging time require an AU that can pursue multiple urgent and critical interventions using internally-mobilized resources. The Pan-African movement has always been about sovereignty and agency, first and foremost," Ruto stressed.
Such reforms, Ruto underlined, should include defining the roles and functions of different organs and instruments in order to avoid duplication of functions and "to free up the African Union from structural and organizational constraints."
The leader added that bringing African people together and advancing the Pan-African project is the continent's top priority.
"Whether we are talking about regional economic communities or mechanisms, or the broader continental effort, the unity of African peoples is our primary goal," Ruto noted.
The president of Kenya also praised the progress of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), describing it as a "magnificent project and historic achievement."
"The most compelling signal that African integration is unstoppable, and that it will open doors for unprecedented socioeconomic transformation, is the progress we have made in implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Area," Ruto said.
Ruto cited figures for the initiative, revealing that the free trade area is projected to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and boost incomes by 7% by 2035.
The Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union was hosted by Kenya's Nairobi on July 16 and this year was held under the theme "Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation."