By:Eva-Rakel Johannes
Chief Executive Officer of Namibia Trade Forum Stacey Susa-Pinto has encouraged women and youth to start with their end in mind, figure out how to be key players in their domestic markets regardless of various limiting factors.
She said that by doing so they would inevitably work towards continental transformation.
She was speaking at the Southern African Youth Consultations on African Continental Free Trade Area protocol brought together by the AfCFTA Continental Secretariat, Youth for Tax Justice Network Africa, supported by the United Nations Development Programme and European Union delegation to Namibia.
According to the Namibia Inter-censal Demographic survey in 2016, 36.8% of the population were adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 34 years, and another 36.4% were children aged 0 to 15 years. The number has steadily increased over the years.
These numbers are significant because this portion of the population faces high unemployment rates and limited opportunities; those opportunities are even slimmer in spaces of leadership and high-level decision making structures.
While AfCFTA presents avenues for job creation and entrepreneurship, hence the need to ensure that the youth are equipped with the necessary skills, have access to capitaland mentorship to seize these opportunities.
The proposed solutions include, however not limited to, progressive elimination of tariffs, continued liberalisation of trade in services, establishment of mechanism for settlement of disputes (inclusion of a tribunal), promoting value driven process by maintaining a human centred approach and thinking of solutions for the people with the people and ultimately advocating for intra-African trading with emphasis on dignifying traditional heritage with representation of women and youth in civil and social discourse.
The consultative meeting brought forth experts in various industries, diplomats from various African countries, women and youth entrepreneurs, producers and traders across the region.
During the 2-day consultation, certain aspects remain unclear and critics still maintain their stance on whether disparities that ultimately become indicators of inclusion and engagement such as gender inequality and youth participation are explicitly outlined in proposed solutions.
Above the umbrella of gender disparities, there remains insufficient and deliberate representation of the disabled and geographically marginalised to centralised information banks and access to enabling resources.
The AfCFTA is the world’s largest active free-trade area in terms of members, population and geographical size. It is an instrument of intra-African export and cooperation through the gradual decrease of tariffs.
By eliminating tariffs on 90% of goods, promoting trade facilitation, and enhancing investment flows, the agreement aims to boost intra-African trade, diversify economies, and create millions of new jobs.
By virtue of Namibia being heavily reliant on mineral exports, there is urgency in radicalising and diversifying its economy. The agreement unlocks new markets for the exchange of goods and services, gradually reducing dependence on a narrow channel of commodities.
This ultimately means that the stimulation of market potential and production of domestic products such as fish, meat and other crucial commodities attract foreign investment but on a more pan-African level this agreement breeds a conducive environment for innovation which has been the key driver in economic growth and job creation.