CAIRO – 14 July 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi highlighted the progress achieved by the African Union's development agency “New Economic Partnership for African Development” (NEPAD), supervised by the Steering Committee under the Egyptian presidency over the past two years, and in collaboration with member states and regional economic clusters.
“I have had the honor of serving as the chair of the NEPAD Steering Committee for the past two years,” Sisi said as he delivered a statement during the Seventh Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (7th MYCM) of the African Union in Equatorial Guinea’s Malabo on Sunday.
“After this period, I believe that the Africa we aspire to is not just a dream, but a tangible reality within reach, despite the numerous challenges and crises facing the continent both internally and externally.”
Sisi stressed that the Steering Committee, in collaboration with the NEPAD Secretariat, seriously addressed the funding gap issue.
The committee has made intensive efforts over the past two years to finalize the feasibility study for establishing the agency's development fund, in line with the mandates from successive African summits, Sisi stated.
He added that these efforts came in recognition of the importance of developing frameworks and tools for mobilizing development financing in the continent, especially in light of the alarming decline in development aid for various reasons.
“I look forward to the relevant African Union bodies concluding discussions on the feasibility study and approving it at the earliest opportunity, so that the fund can begin fulfilling its intended role in mobilizing finance and stimulating investment in Africa,” the president said.
Moreover, NEPAD has doubled its efforts to accelerate the implementation of the second ten-year plan of the 2063 Agenda, hastening the identification and mobilization of funding for infrastructure projects included in the presidential infrastructure program, valued at $500 million, Sisi said.
It also worked to speed up the implementation of green infrastructure corridors, the continent’s master energy plan, and the common African agricultural policy, all of which aim to enhance regional and continental integration efforts.
In terms of services, Sisi said NEPAD continued its commendable efforts under the supervision of the Steering Committee to invest in people, launching initiatives in education and health.
Among the successes in recent months was securing $100 million for the African population initiative, from which African countries have begun benefiting to enhance their reproductive health services, Sisi underlined.
He also shed light on the provision of €100 million to support projects under the Skills Initiative For Africa, aimed at building human and technical capacities, alongside significant investments in digital transformation to create millions of jobs for African youth.
Recognizing the threat posed by climate change, the Steering Committee, in collaboration with the NEPAD secretariat, expedited the establishment of the NEPAD Center of Excellence, Sisi said.
“We all look forward to its inauguration and the commencement of its activities from Cairo, which will be an important addition to our tools in addressing this existential threat to our peoples and our continent.”
The president highlighted his support to the enhancement of NEPAD's presence in African countries, based on their requests and priorities and as part of the initiatives of the secretariat.
Mon, Jul. 14, 2025
