East African Community Secretary General Veronica Nduva has called on African nations to align their resource mobilization efforts, stressing the need for a collaborative approach to address funding shortfalls that continue to hinder the continent’s development aspirations.

Addressing a high-level roundtable organized by the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD in Nairobi yesterday, Nduva urged states to abandon isolated and overlapping strategies in favor of a harmonized, continent-wide framework that can enhance Africa’s collective bargaining power and financing capacity.

She highlighted the urgency of mobilizing substantial resources to drive the implementation of Agenda 2063 Africa’s long-term vision for inclusive, sustainable growth and global competitiveness.

“As Africa faces mounting challenges in funding its development priorities, a unified approach to resource mobilization is not just timely but essential,” the Secretary General stated in remarks shared by the EAC on Sunday, July 13, 2025.

Nduva also promoted the adoption of blended financing models that draw on public, private, and philanthropic sources. She urged African philanthropists and the private sector to take on a more prominent role in both shaping and supporting the continent’s development trajectory.

In addition, she advocated for prudent spending including the introduction of austerity measures where necessary and stressed the importance of integrating digital solutions into planning, coordination, and execution frameworks to ensure more efficient implementation.

The roundtable brought together key stakeholders, including African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, AU institutions, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), representatives from member states, development agencies, and partners. The gathering focused on accelerating the realization of Agenda 2063 through more effective, Africa-led funding models.

Echoing Nduva’s sentiments, AUC Chairperson Youssouf emphasized the importance of transitioning from donor dependency to a model rooted in African leadership and alignment with the continent’s own priorities.

Nduva’s remarks came just a day after Kenyan President William Ruto offered an upbeat assessment of the country’s economic recovery.

Speaking on Saturday, July 12, 2025, Ruto said his government had pulled Kenya back from the edge of a debt crisis, pushing it into the ranks of the six largest economies in Africa.

The President acknowledged that his administration inherited a struggling economy, with international financial institutions forecasting a bleak future for Kenya.

“At that time, I had two critical tasks uniting the nation and stabilizing the economy,” Ruto said. “Kenya was among six African countries considered to be on the verge of economic collapse due to unsustainable debt levels.”

Ruto added that, while five of those countries eventually plunged into economic turmoil, Kenya managed to stay afloat through disciplined financial management and strategic economic planning, earning renewed confidence from global analysts.