Episode #75
(Season 4; Ep.10):
 |
| State of the Union (SOTU) & ECDPM's PERIA programme |
Demystifying
Africa’s Integration through ECOWAS and African Union dynamics –
or a case of
unpacking the Brussels-based PERIA programme & the Nairobi-based
State of The [African] Union
Season 4 is STILL on the theme of “making
money for Africa”.
We commenced
the Season unpacking the nitty-gritty of the Creative Economy, and concluded
that Film, more than any other cog
in the Creative Economy wheel, was probably the most dominant within that
Economy.
In episode 2,
we appreciated how, if managed properly, Sports could become the biggest
employer in Ghana, the sub region, and the Continent.
In episode 3,
we started to treat the all-important topic of customer service, concluding
that, Ghana can achieve an “insanely customer-centric culture” as seen in the
West, but it takes exposure and training of frontline staff to do that.
In episode 4,
we concluded that East Africa continues to rise, while episode 5 helped
demystify Africa’s agriculture under the AU’s flagship programme of CAADP,
concluding that issues around Agribusiness and nutrition will dominate
discussions around Agriculture after the 12th CAADP Partnership
Platform meeting that was held in Accra mid-April.
In episode 6,
we piggy-backed on the *UNCTAD E-Commerce week* that took
place from 18-22 April in Geneva, concluding the show on Cyber-crime with the
shocking conclusion that Ghana’s Cyber-awareness is at a shockingly low
threshold.
Episode 7 saw
us in a conversation with the West Africa Civil Society Institute for updates
on latest activities, and publications, concluding that it was necessary to
have a conversation about African philanthropy.
Episode 8 shone
the spotlight on AfriTourism for the fourth time, concluding that the “Think
Ghana, Think Cocoa” venture, which was unveiled at a Marketing competition at
the University of Ghana Business School in April, needs immense support as it
has put cocoa very significantly into conversations around tourism.
Last week’s
episode sought to unpack Model ECOWAS Summit that will take place on ECOWAS Day
– 28 May, 2016.
Now for the 18th May edition of
Africa in Focus, in the spirit of Regional Integration month, traditionally
scheduled for May since 2013, we have yet-another special edition celebrating
Africa’s integration at both ECOWAS and African Union levels.
At a time that Togo will be celebrating African Integration Week from 21-25 May under
the auspices of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we believe it is even more
important to consolidate the spirit of conversations around Africa’s
integration by speaking to different experts who can help us better-understand
why Africa’s integration remains very relevant to the continent’s development.
It is auspicious to further be having this
conversation at the cusp of the 25th
anniversary of the Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community,
or the de facto blueprint of Africa’s integration in six steps – three
regional, three continental.
June is an important month for Africa’s
integration: not only is it the quarter-century celebration of the Abuja Treaty
or the month in which at Africa in Focus, we discussed African integration back
in 2014 – by speaking to the UNECA’s Dr.Joseph Attah-Mensah; Ashesi
University’s Dr.Lloyd Amoah; and WACSI’s Charles Van Dyck, -- but the month in which the Tripartite Free
Trade Area was launched in Egypt in 2015.
On 14 April, Africa in Focus was invited to a lunchtime seminar of the launch
of the Brussels-based Economic Centre for Development, Policy & Management
(ECDPM)’s PERIA programme (Political Economy of Regional Integration in Africa).
On Friday 13 May, PERIA was launched at the AU Commission, but as yet-another
novel programme, how much does it complement ECDPM’s work on regional
integration? To this end, we will be speaking to Dr. Bruce Byiers, Senior
Policy Officer at ECDPM, -- LIVE FROM TOGO – to help us understand and
better-unpack the PERIA programme and its value-add to conversations around
regional integration.
Our second conversation will be with Osai
Ojigho – Coordinator of Kenya-based CSO – who is no stranger to Africa in Focus
Show or its sister programme – the XYZ Africa News Bulletin@8.
Her special area of interest is that of the
African Union, and Member States commitment and compliance to its protocols.
This is compelling and cutting-edge content
on African integration, & ECOWAS made easier.
How can you afford to miss it a week away
from the continent’s celebration of AU day on 25 May?
Join us if
you can at 2.05pm on 18 May, 2016.
Call us on the following number
+233(302)777.173
Guiding questions
Ø What is
the rationale behind PERIA?
Ø What is
the added-value to the conversation on Africa’s integration?
Ø What about
AU Member States’ and their compliance, or lack thereof, towards Protocols?
Guests on the line:
Ø Osai
Ojigho, Co-ordinator, State of the Union, Kenya LIVE FROM NAIROBI
Ø Dr.Bruce
Byiers, Senior Policy Officer, ECDPM Brussels Office, Belgium LIVE FROM Lome, TOGO
Call Radio XYZ93.1FM on +233(302)777.173
