AU Adopts Akufo-Addo’s Mobile Money Interoperability Across Africa

In a significant move towards economic integration, the African Union (AU) has adopted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s proposal for mobile money interoperability across Africa. This initiative aims to enable seamless transactions and economic integration across the continent.

At the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Accra, Ghana, President Akufo-Addo presented two reports: “Establishment of the African Union Financial Institutions (AUFIs)” and “Scaling up Interoperability for Economic Integration: Using Mobile Money to Buy and Sell Across Africa.” The reports were endorsed by the AU, paving the way for the implementation of mobile money interoperability across Africa.

The adoption of this initiative is expected to boost intra-African trade, promote economic integration, and enhance the livelihoods of Africans. With over 70% of global mobile money transactions occurring in Africa, this move has the potential to unlock tremendous economic opportunities for the continent.

President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of mobile money interoperability, stating that it will enable Africans to use their mobile money wallets to buy and sell across member states, creating business opportunities and helping to tackle unemployment among the youth.

The AU has called upon member states, regional economic communities, and relevant stakeholders to commit to achieving mobile money interoperability by 2027. This includes bringing all member states on board the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), allowing cross-border mobile money interoperability, and developing a continental regulatory framework for mobile money operations.

The adoption of mobile money interoperability is a significant step towards achieving the African Union’s goal of creating a single, unified market for Africa. It is expected to promote economic growth, reduce transaction costs, and enhance the overall economic integration of the continent.

DRAFT DECLARATION

WE, the Heads of State and Government, representing the Bureau of the Assembly of
the African Union and Chairpersons of the Eight (8) Regional Economic Communities
(RECs) as well as Regional Mechanisms (RMs), meeting in Accra, Ghana on 21st July
2024, on the occasion of the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, chaired by H.E.
Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and
Chairperson of the African Union;
RECALLING the outcomes of the five previous Mid-Year Coordination Meetings, latest
of which declaration on 16 July 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya contained in document MYCM/AU/
Decl.(V);
UNDERSCORING the need to promote cooperation in all fields of human endeavour in
order to raise the standard of living of African peoples, and maintain and enhance
economic stability, foster close and peaceful relations among Member States and
contribute to the progress, development and the economic integration of the Continent;
UNDERLINING the importance of the harmonization of national and regional policies in
order to promote socio-economic development across the continent;
RECOGNIZING that the promotion of intra-African trade remains a fundamental factor for
sustainable economic development, employment generation and effective integration of
Africa into the global economy; and
REITERATING that the implementation of the Protocol on Relations between the African
Union and the Regional Economic Communities places the responsibility for both the
African Union and the Regional Economic Communities to guarantee that the continent
is integrated in the most effective way possible, and that Africa’s integration process is
hastened in order for Africa to tackle the challenges caused by globalization.
HEREBY DECLARE THAT WE:
STATUS OF INTEGRATION

1. TAKE NOTE of the Report of the AU Commission on the Continental Integration
   in Africa and FURTHER TAKE NOTE of the Reports of the Chairpersons of
   Regional Economic Communities on the status of Regional Integration as follows:
   i. H.E Mohammad Younis Menfi, President of the Presidency Council of the
   State of Libya and current Chairperson of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU).
   ii. H.E. Mahamat Idriss Deby, President of the Republic of Chad and current
   Chairperson of the Community for Sahel-Saharan States (CENSAD);
   iii. H.E. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia and current
   Chairperson of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
   (COMESA);
   iv. H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan and
   current Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC);
   MYCM/AU/Draft

v. H.E Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of
Equatorial Guinea and current Chairperson of the Economic Community
of Central African States (ECCAS);
vi. H.E Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of Republic of Nigeria and current
Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS);
vii. H.E. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti and
current Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
(IGAD); and
viii. H.E João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of
Angola and current Chairperson of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC).
REPORTS BY HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT AND CHAMPIONS
HOLDING SPECIAL PORTFOLIOS

2. TAKE NOTE of the reports by Excellencies and Champions of Special Portfolios:
   i. H.E Dr. Paul Kagame , President of the Republic of Rwanda and
   current Chair of the Summit of the Eastern Africa Standby Force and
   ENDORSE the recommendations contained therein.
   ii. H.E Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of the People’s Democratic
   Republic of Algeria and current Chair of the North African Regional
   Capability and ENDORSE the recommendations contained therein.
   iii. H.E Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and
   the Chair of Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee
   (HSGOC) of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA NEPAD)
   and ENDORSE the recommendations contained therein.
   iv. H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of
   Ghana and AU Champion on AU Financial Institutions and
   ENDORSE the recommendations contained in the two reports
   namely:

• Establishment of the African Union Financial Institutions
  (AUFIs); and
  •
  .Scaling up Interoperability for Economic Integration: using
  mobile money to buy and sell across Africa
  v. H.E Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo and
  Second Vice Chairperson of Bureau of the Assembly and ENDORSE
  the recommendations contained therein. Further ENDORSE that the
  Report be transmitted for consideration by the 79th Session of the UN
  General Assembly (UNGA 79).
  vi. H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, AU Champion on the AfCFTA and
  ENDORSE the recommendations contained therein.

REPORTS OF THE AU COMMISSION, ITS ORGANS AND PARTNERS STATUS OF
INTEGRATION IN AFRICA

3. CALL UPON the AU Commission, RECs and RMs in collaboration with UNECA
   and AfDB to publish the Integration Report, every two years, starting from 2025,
   on the basis of the new African Synthetized Regional Integration Index (ASRII)
4. RECALL the need to continue improving the level of integration within the RECs
   as well as at the continental level and CALL UPON the Member States, AU
   Commission, RECs, RMs and AUDA-NEPAD to strengthen their collaboration
   in the implementation of the African Integration Agenda;
5. REQUEST the AU Commission to continue advocating the promotion of inter-
   REC co-operation with a view to speed up the African integration agenda and
   CALL UPON Member States to allocate adequate financial resources that will
   ensure effective implementation of the integration agenda.
6. URGE the AU Commission in collaboration with UNECA, RECs and AU relevant
   institutions to continue the development of a single comprehensive and
   harmonized approach and a unique index of assessing African integration that
   leverages on the strengths of existing indexes at AU Commission (AMRII) and
   UNECA(ARII). The Unified Index should be aligned on the objectives of the
   Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (the Abuja Treaty) and
   Agenda 2063;
   DIVISION OF LABOUR BETWEEN THE AFRICAN UNION, REGIONAL ECONOMIC
   COMMUNITIES/REGIONAL MECHANISMS AND MEMBER STATES
7. TAKE NOTE of the report by H.E Pierre Mbonjo Moukoko, Head of the Reform
   Implementation Unit AU Commission and ENDORSE the recommendations
   contained therein;
8. REQUEST the AU Commission, in coordination with AUDA NEPAD and the
   RECS, to finalize the report on the division of labor between the AU, the RECs,
   the RMs and Member States, and to submit same to the Executive Council
   through the PRC and its relevant sub-committees;
   AU INTER-REGIONAL KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE (I-RECKE) ON EARLY
   WARNING

WELCOME the Annual Report on the Activities of the Inter-Regional Knowledge
Exchange (I-RECKE) on Early Warning and Conflict Prevention;

10. ENDORSE the report of the Third Policy Session of the AU Inter-Regional
    Knowledge Exchange (I-RECKE) on Early Warning and Conflict Prevention and
    the activities of the I-RECKE; and COMMEND the AU Commission, RECs/RMs
    as members of the I-RECKE platform for the significant progress made in
    developing a comprehensive joint strategy to strengthen AU-RECs/RMs
    cooperation in harmonizing efforts and amplifying impact in resource mobilization
    for regional and continental peace and security initiatives;
11. UNDERSCORE the critical role of the I-RECKE as a strategic platform to
    enhance the AU Continental Early Warning System; in this regard, CALL UPON
    the Member States and partners to support I-RECKE activities to augment the
    coordination and cooperation among the RECs/RMs and with the Member
    States, AU Commission, towards regional integration in the peace and security
    domain;
12. COMMEND the established cooperation of the I-RECKE and the African Union
    Network of Think Tanks for Peace (AU NeTT4Peace); WELCOME the progress
    made by AUNeTT4Peace as a network of African think tanks bridging the
    theory- policy differential, with the vision of peaceful, secure, and prosperous
    Africa; and a mission to provide a strategic interface between knowledge
    communities and the African Union for effective policy making and impactful
    implementation towards the Africa We Want; WHILE ENCOURAGING the role
    of the Network to address one of the AU’s priorities of promoting a knowledge
    approach to AU peace, security and democracy action and bridging the gap
    between research, policy, and practice;
13. REQUEST the I-RECKE, as an intra-continental platform, to continue to
    intensify its efforts towards improving cross-regional best practices on early
    warning, conflict prevention, resilience and peace building between the AU,
    RECs/RMs
    AUDA-NEPAD
14. REAFFIRM the central coordination role of the AU Commission and AUDA-
    NEPAD in relation to all priority regional and continental development activities
    in Africa, in accordance with its mandate as the development agency of the
    African Union;
15. TAKE COGNISANT of the Commission and AUDA-NEPAD’s leading the
    evaluation report of the First Decade of the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and
    the subsequent formulation and costing of the Second Ten Year Implementation
    Plan (STYIP); ENCOURAGE AU Member States, RECs, RMs and partners to
    adopt domestication and implementation instruments, allocate sufficient

technical and financial resources, and collaborate closely with AU Commission
and AUDA-NEPAD to expedite Agenda 2063 implementation; and URGE them
to continue enhancing the capacities of RECs and Member States in scenario
planning, foresight analysis, monitoring, and reporting on Agenda 2063;

16. TAKE NOTE of the conceptualisation and development by the AU Commission
    and AUDA-NEPAD of the Africa Team Flagship initiative, in cooperation with
    AfCFTA, ACDC, APRM, PAP, and RECs, as an AU Flagship Resource
    Mobilisation Programme to expedite resource mobilisation for a Pipeline of High-
    Impact Investment Programmes aiming at accelerating the implementation of the
    STYIP; and REQUEST the AU Commission and AUDA-NEPAD to ensure that
    the official launch of the Africa Team Programme takes place at the 38th
    Session of the Assembly of the African Union in February 2025;
17. WELCOME the AU Commission and AUDA-NEPAD for the development of the
    Agenda 2063 Dashboard to track progress on Agenda 2063 implementation by
    Member States, Region and at the Continental level; APPLAUD the Member
    States who have made use of the Dashboard to report on the First Ten Year
    Implementation Plan and ENCOURAGE all Member States to use the Dashboard to
    report and track progress on the implementation of the Second Ten Year
    Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063;
18. URGE Member States and RECs to support the WorldSkills Africa Desk
    initiative, launched by AU Commission and AUDA-NEPAD in February 2024, as
    a flagship initiative of the African Union 2024 theme of the Year on education,
    with the aim of providing African countries with a dedicated platform to improve
    skills development, build capacity, and reimagine Technical and Vocational
    Education and Training (TVET) systems across the continent.
    CONTINENTAL KEY INITIATIVES OF THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
    (AfDB)
19. TAKE NOTE of the Report by H.E Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the
    African Development Bank Group and ENDORSE the recommendations
    contained therein.

APPRECIATION

20. APPRECIATE the Government of the Republic of Ghana for the successful hosting of the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the African Union,
    Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms.

Done in Accra, Ghana, on 21st July 2024