From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
Africa must shift from being a passive participant to an active shaper of development cooperation, said Leo Atakpu, the Deputy Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ).
Atakpu, who also chairs the Reality of Aid Africa network, spoke yesterday while delivering welcome remarks at the Africa Leads Preparatory Meeting held recently in Nairobi, Kenya.
Welcoming participants on behalf of ANEEJ and RoA Africa, he described the meeting as more than a typical conference—it serves as a space for honest reflection, strategic planning, and practical repositioning.
“We are here to examine what is changing in the global development landscape, what those changes mean for Africa, and most importantly, how to shape a more deliberate and cohesive African response,” he said.
Atakpu noted that development cooperation is undergoing a significant transformation, with traditional aid structures shifting, fiscal pressures rising, and new geopolitical and economic realities redefining partnerships.
He added that aid flows over the years have not always resulted in structural transformation across Africa, highlighting the need for a deeper repositioning of the continent within the system.
“This moment, therefore, presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that Africa risks remaining reactive, merely adjusting to external changes rather than shaping them.
The opportunity, however, is much greater: to transition from participants in a system to active shapers of development cooperation—focused on African priorities, realities, and aspirations,” he stated.
He recalled that Africa had previously established its stance in development cooperation through collaborations with AUDA-NEPAD and member states, dating back to the Road to Busan and the broader development effectiveness agenda.
That effort, he said, helped create the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC), where Africa has maintained visible leadership.
“Through these efforts, we have seen what is possible: a more coordinated Africa, a more assertive Africa, and an Africa with greater influence in global development processes. We therefore do not start from zero,” Atakpu said.
He explained that Africa Leads builds on that foundation and adapts it to current realities. “We are confident that this renewed partnership, especially with AUDA-NEPAD and other African institutions, can help the continent move from engagement to positioning, and from positioning to influence,” he added.
Atakpu reiterated that although Reality of Aid Africa originated from civil society, it has always aimed to serve the broader African ecosystem.
He stated that RoA Africa has worked closely with governments, regional bodies, and partners to promote Africa’s unique development experiences while amplifying the African voice and leadership.
He outlined three key goals for the preparatory meeting: honest reflection on the successes and limitations of existing models, strategic planning for African leadership, and producing practical results to guide positioning and decision-making.
“As Chair of Reality of Aid Africa, I see this initiative as part of a wider effort to strengthen the African voice, agency, and coordination in global development debates. Africa Leads offers us a platform to move beyond fragmented efforts toward a more unified and strategic African stance,” he said.
He encouraged participants to actively participate, challenge assumptions, and contribute to collective, forward-thinking discussions. He expressed gratitude to co-organizers and partners for their leadership, believing that these discussions will establish a strong foundation for the broader Africa Leads process.
“I am confident that the discussions we start today will help shape a more strategic and self-determined path for development cooperation on the continent,” he concluded.
