President Paul Kagame has called on African nations to work closely in identifying the continent’s challenges and working out applicable solutions. 

The President was speaking on the sidelines of the just-concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, at a dinner reception dubbed ‘Africa’s Future’ over the weekend.

Kagame was speaking following a panel discussion moderated by James Mwangi, executive director of Dalberg, with Bono, lead singer of U2; co-founder, (RED); co-founder, One, Ireland; Donald Kaberuka, former president of African Development Bank; Sara Menker, founder and chief executive of Gro Intelligence; Jubril Adewale Tinubu, group chief executive of Dalberg.

Also attending the dinner was Gabon President Bongo Ondimba, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina and Ivory Coast Prime Minister Daniel Duncan.

Kagame said despite the strides and progress being made by nations across the continent, there were challenges most countries were trying to address individually.

The individual approach in addressing challenges, the President said, was only holding the continent back and painting a desperate image.

"When talking about problems, we are together (but) when we are looking for solutions, we stand individually, each country trying on its own,” the President said of the status quo.

He called on nations to work together in not only identifying problems but in seeking solutions and in implementing them.

"I think we have to do some alignment here. Let’s discuss the problems together, let’s discuss the solutions together and actually lets implement them together; let’s work together,” Kagame said.

Why cooperation is a must

Kagame added that failure to work together would lead African countries to miss the opportunity of drawing from a rich pool of solutions and possibilities.

"Every one of us is able to articulate what our problems are, in fact even articulate solutions, why do we keep falling short and giving an impression that Africa is failing?” he posed.

"We need to challenge ourselves and deal with our situations and the situation of the continent with a sense of urgency, the solutions are clear, what we need to do to deal with our problems is very clear, let just go ahead and do it together.”

President Kagame has for long emphasised the need for African countries to work closely and integrate further for shared prosperity.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting hosted by Africa Regional Business Council at the forum on Friday, the President had called for stronger regional ties and cooperation between African countries to facilitate the socio-economic growth of the continent.

Kagame said there was unexplored potential in regional cooperation that, if pursued, would spur the much-sought-after economic growth and attract investments.

Alongside other African leaders, Kagame had said stronger intra-regional cooperation was essential to create bigger and more diversified markets at home and improved access to global capital.

He noted that the fragmented nature of the African market was holding back ambition of growth and investments.

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