By Elizabeth Kamara
KAMPALA, Uganda — From April 7 to 8, 2025, the 8th African Leadership Forum (ALF) convened at Speke Resort Munyonyo, bringing together a distinguished assembly of former and current African leaders, policymakers, and experts to deliberate on the continent’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The forum, themed “Realising the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: Progress and the Way Forward,” was co-hosted by the UONGOZI Institute, the Hailemariam & Roman Foundation, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). 
Reflecting on a Decade of SDGs
Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Patron of the ALF, opened the forum by highlighting its origins as a platform for African-driven solutions to the continent’s challenges. He emphasized the necessity of candid dialogue in fostering credible leadership and effective strategies.
Sam Kutesa, who presided over the UN General Assembly during the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, acknowledged the goals’ validity but expressed concern over Africa’s implementation pace. “The SDGs are valid,” he stated, “but their execution across Africa has fallen short. The time for action is now.”
UNECA’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Antonio Pedro, recognized Africa’s advancements in education, gender representation, and regional collaboration. However, he cautioned that persistent issues such as poverty, disease, unemployment, and climate crises necessitate a departure from “business as usual.” Pedro advocated for purpose-driven investments focusing on job creation, food security, and human capital development, and emphasized the importance of operationalizing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to end economic fragmentation.
Former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma underscored the link between improved health outcomes, access to social services, and human capital development. He stressed that prosperity is unattainable when citizens are hindered by preventable diseases and weak public systems. Koroma also highlighted the necessity of aligning education and skills development with modern labor market demands, emphasizing competencies in digital skills, entrepreneurship, and vocational training.
Addressing agriculture, Koroma noted the sector’s potential to drive job creation, ensure food security, and spur industrialization. He advocated for moving beyond subsistence farming through value addition, technological innovation, and modernization of the agricultural value chain to achieve inclusive economic transformation.
Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn painted a picture of a continent rich in resources yet burdened by poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and donor dependency. He called for homegrown solutions, including renewable energy development, governance reform, climate-resilient infrastructure, regional integration via the AfCFTA, and a people-centered paradigm shift.
Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki emphasized the impact of bold and selfless leadership and decried corruption as a significant impediment to African development.
MAFA E. Chipeta, former FAO Regional Head for East Africa, critiqued Africa’s tendency to adopt numerous treaties without prioritizing or adequately resourcing their implementation. He urged the continent to stop operating under external directives and to focus on:
• Prioritizing SDGs critical for structural transformation, such as goals related to energy, economic growth, industry, responsible consumption, life below water, and life on land.
• Reevaluating fossil fuel strategies considering Africa’s minimal global emissions. 
• Reclaiming value chains to avoid exporting raw materials at undervalued prices.
• Promoting domestic trade that supports local producers.
• Utilizing local currencies in intra-African trade to reduce external dependencies.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni linked sustainable development to social transformation, drawing on Uganda’s economic journey. He outlined practical strategies, including banning raw mineral exports to retain value locally, state-driven support for agriculture to integrate rural populations into the monetary economy, infrastructure development aligned with the AfCFTA, and reforms in education and health as pivotal human capital enablers. Museveni challenged Ugandans to ambitiously expand their economy, aiming for a $500 billion economy through productivity and structural change.
The forum concluded with a collective call for:
• Re-prioritizing SDGs to align with Africa’s unique development needs.
• Investing significantly in youth education, skills, and job creation.
• Emphasizing value addition and local industrialization as economic foundations.
• Implementing governance reforms rooted in inclusivity, transparency, and pan-African integration.
The 8th African Leadership Forum served as a platform for introspection, bold ideas, and a resolute commitment to making Africa’s development journey more self-determined. As Antonio Pedro concluded, “Africa must not just rise—it must lead.”
