Addis ababa: Mr Claver Gatete, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), emphasized that reparations must focus on transforming global systems that continue to impede Africa’s development. He articulated this perspective in an op-ed shared with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the ECA Communications Section.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Gatete highlighted the African Union’s decision to prioritize reparations in its 2025 agenda, marking a significant shift in the continent’s priorities. He elaborated that reparations should aim to rectify structural imbalances, enabling Africa’s land and resources to foster shared prosperity rather than perpetuating inequality. Gatete noted that Africa remains constrained by a global order shaped by historical enslavement, colonization, and dispossession, with current unfair trade regimes reflecting an extractive logic.
Gatete pointed out the persistent undervaluation of African economies due to unequal finance, inflated borrowing costs
, and flawed credit ratings. He argued that land governance, justice, and reparations are not retrospective concepts but vital for renewal and sustainable development. The 2025 Conference on Land Policy in Africa underscored land as central to addressing past injustices and present exclusion, framing reparations as a future-oriented agenda that links land rights, equitable finance, climate resilience, and industrialization.
The ECA chief cited estimates of an annual loss of 88 billion dollars from the continent due to illicit financial flows, which curtail opportunities for structural transformation. He stressed that effective reparations must tackle the rules and institutions keeping Africa at the lower end of value chains, advocating for local value-added production instead of raw resource exports.
Gatete emphasized that reparations should empower African states to retain value domestically, supported by robust land governance and secure tenure, particularly for women and youth. Transparent land systems a
re crucial for ensuring food security, investment, stability, and peace. Land reforms, he noted, must be aligned with national laws, local contexts, and community priorities rather than externally imposed models.
He also highlighted the role of digital tools and climate-smart strategies in modernizing land administration and protecting vulnerable communities. African universities, he said, are essential for generating knowledge and innovation to advance land justice and industrial growth. Aligning educational training with future industry needs and leveraging indigenous knowledge are key to tackling development challenges.
Gatete pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) as providing the necessary scale to develop regional value chains and competitive industries, noting that reparations should be linked with regional integration to foster job creation, market expansion, and economic autonomy. He also suggested that the African diaspora be seen as a strategic partner, with their capital and
expertise aiding industrial and digital transitions. Policies protecting diaspora rights and integrating their interests are crucial.
In conclusion, Gatete asserted that reparations must rebalance power concerning land, capital, technology, and knowledge for true progress. This involves ensuring fair finance, inclusive land rights, and that African industries can process African resources effectively.