April 20, 2021

A reviewed partnership between Africa and the United States should be one that helps to improve human security, to avert pandemics, or indeed to tackle the crises caused by climate change, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Osinbajo stated this at the 2021 John Hopkins, African studies programme conference themed: “AFRICA-US REENGAGEMENT: A NEW FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA

“So, I think that a resetting of the US policy agenda with Africa should promote a partnership that brings about economic prosperity, increases security, combats disease, improves governance and mitigates the effects of climate change.

“Africa is in many ways the last frontier for economic development and it has the potential to be a global growth pole.”

He noted that the reality however is that Africa still bears a disproportionate burden of communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and meningitis amongst others.

“The United States has helped to improve health care outcomes in Africa including through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDs Relief (PEPFAR)”, he said.

“I think that the same spirit of collaboration with regard to making COVID-19 vaccines available to African countries is now called for. This is not a time for vaccine nationalism and export bans but it is a time of working together towards universal vaccination against the disease.”

He however added that, with the view expressed by many who have given the matter some thought, that the 21st century will be the African century, “In other words, for good or ill, the fate of Africa will impact the rest of the world in this century because of its increasing share of humanity and because of its indispensable contribution to managing the global commons, be it to improve human security, to avert pandemics, or indeed to tackle the crises caused by climate change”.