AiDO Network International, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged Africans at home and in the diaspora to leverage technology to improve Intra-African trade.
Paul Egenda, Global President, AIDO Network International, made the call during the NGO’s sixth Annual International Convention and Royal Summit, held in Lagos.
The theme of the event is “Increasing Trade Relationships Between African Countries and Within the Global African Community”.
Egenda said technology must be embraced in the area of creating seamless telecommunication network across African nations as well as roads and airways.
He advised that to encourage Intra-African trade, Africans must also uphold cultural exchange programmes; organise trade mission and exhibitions frequently; invest in capacity building and favourable policy advocacy.
“Today, we stand united in a mission to foster economic empowerment, drive innovation, and break down the borders that separate us.
“We envision African businesses thriving across continents, African products moving freely across borders, and African ideas shaping industries worldwide.
“AiDO’s mission goes beyond connection, it is a mission of empowerment, a promise to build a thriving economy that includes every community here on the continent and in the diaspora.
“So, we advise on leveraging technology to achieve seamless trade with the African continent as well as making favourable policies to encourage trade,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Femi Pedro, Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, expressed worry that Intra-African trade had been grossly under developed.
According to Pedro, it is the effect of colonialism as Africans do not take pride in their products, perceiving same as been inferior to the western products.
“Africa with abundant supply of natural resources, fertile soil, no natural disasters like the western nations, we can leverage these opportunities to improve trade within the continent.
“Trading amongst ourselves will give room for expansion of trade, we need to be conversant with the policy of the African Continental Free Trade Area which is gradually gaining effect.
“We are smart and intelligent. It is time our leaders become pan-African. We can build our own railways, mine our resources and utilise them oureslves,” he said.
Also, Oba Kolade Oladipupo, Olupoti of Ipoti-Ekiti, noted that a lot needed to be done in encouraging investment.
Oladipupo pledged to work more on attracting investors to his domain as he called on Africans in the diaspora to retrace their steps back to their roots.
Similarly, Queen Vickylextar Okang, Governing Head, Omanye Royal Kingdom, Ghana, urged Africans to be deliberate in promoting their products.
Prof. Simon Eweje, Chairman, Courier and Logistics Management Institute, said, “If Africa must rise again, we must go back to the basics of commonality, integrity and trust, we must begin to see ourselves as brothers and sisters.
“A return to integrity will make entrepreneurship fruitful and thrive in Africa.”
Violet Smith, a Canadian trained Geologist, harped on the need for African leaders to begin to invest in capacity building for youths, to learn the rudiments of mining and the potential in the huge mineral resources in Africa.
“A recent study revealed that in the last 800 years, many things has changed but the exploitation of Africa’s resouces has not changed.
“Africa has enough natural resources that no one has to be poor.
“We have to get our children ready to exploit the natural resources, we have to cooperate with one another, have our children at the forefront of exploiting these resources. We have to be serious now, we are in a new age of sporafic development,” she said.
Chief Dion Hayes, President, DIA logistics Inc. urged African leaders to take deliberate steps in encouraging Africans remain patriotic, jettison all forms of western influence and promote African products.
Also, Prince Bimbo Folayan, AIDO Nigeria Board of Trustee Chairman, noted that the essence of the conference was to mobilise investment back to Africa through traditional leaders across the continent.
“We want to introduce businesses to communities through traditional leaders, we are looking at encouraging them to assist intending investors by way of creating enabling environment for businesses to thrive within the communities,” he said.