Africa holds 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land and 30% of global mineral reserves, yet contributes only a small fraction to international trade, Ambassador Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has said.

Speaking on November 10 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the official opening of the 2025 Conference on Land Policy in Africa, Gatete said the continent’s underperformance is rooted in structural imbalances that continue to shape Africa’s role in the global economy.

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The biennial conference, held under the theme "Land Governance, Justice and Reparations for Africans and Descendants of the People of the African Diaspora,” serves as a platform to advance evidence-based land governance across the continent.

"Africa has enormous potential for agricultural growth and future food production that must be harnessed,” Gatete said, noting that despite its wealth, the continent contributes just 2% to global manufacturing output.

He stressed that Africa’s abundant land and resources remain underutilised, even as the world faces economic uncertainty, climate change, and geopolitical shifts.

"It is Africa—a continent rich in land and resources—that often bears the heaviest burden from rising debt, climate-induced displacement, and persistent inequalities,” he said.

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The conference theme aligns with the African Union’s 2025 Theme of the Year on reparations, justice, and healing. "Land governance, justice, and reparations are not debates of the past; they are imperatives for Africa’s renewal and fairness in global systems,” Gatete added.

Recognising the centrality of land to sovereignty, identity, and livelihoods, the African Union Commission, African Development Bank, and UNECA established the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC) to ensure that Africa’s land and resources primarily benefit its people.

Through the ALPC, frameworks have been developed on women’s land rights, responsible agricultural investment, and conflict-sensitive governance.

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Despite this progress, Gatete said inequalities persist. "Centuries of enslavement, colonisation, and dispossession reshaped Africa’s economy. The same extractive logic now manifests in inequitable trade systems, inflated borrowing costs, and credit assessments that undervalue Africa’s potential,” he said.

He called for reforming the global financial and trading system, noting that illicit financial flows drain an estimated US$88 billion annually from Africa, while unfair credit ratings inflate borrowing costs and restrict access to long-term capital. "Justice will begin when finance becomes fair,” he said.

Gatete also emphasised the need to strengthen land governance and tenure security, particularly for women, youth, and smallholder farmers. "Without secure land rights, there can be no food security, no peace, and no lasting development,” he said.

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He urged African countries to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to transform resource wealth into value-added production and regional value chains.

"With a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion, the AfCFTA offers the scale needed to refine, manufacture, and trade African-made goods. Why should Africa export raw materials only to import finished products? When our land powers our industries, our industries will, in turn, power our people,” he said.

Gatete further called for mobilising the African diaspora as co-architects of transformation, highlighting their capital, knowledge, and advocacy as key to connecting Africa with global innovation.

He also stressed the importance of investing in technology, climate resilience, and youth empowerment to modernise land administration and promote sustainable growth.

He reaffirmed UNECA’s commitment to supporting these priorities alongside the African Union, the African Development Bank, and the African Land Policy Centre.

Mzwanele Nyhontso, South Africa’s Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, said equitable land management is essential for food security, social stability, and inclusive economic growth.

"We must boldly accept that we still have a considerable amount to do in land reform and rural development,” he said.