United Nations and African Union officials have called for accelerated implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa, warning that slow progress and a major financing gap are threatening development ambitions across the continent.
The appeal was made on Tuesday at the opening of the 12th session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa, held under the theme “Turning the Tide: Transformative and Coordinated Actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”
The forum brings together policymakers, development partners and experts to assess Africa’s progress toward the 2030 global development agenda and the African Union’s own long-term blueprint, Agenda 2063.
Speaking at the meeting, Claver Gatete, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, said progress in key sectors such as water, sanitation, energy and infrastructure remained insufficient to drive meaningful transformation.
He warned that persistent gaps in basic services were deepening inequality across the continent.
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“Despite progress in expanding water access systems, lack of safety, reliability, and quality continues to constrain health, productivity, and economic transformation across the continent,” Gatete said, adding that gains in energy and infrastructure were not translating into enough jobs or improved competitiveness.
Officials said Africa’s development challenge is no longer only about access to infrastructure but also about ensuring that investments generate inclusive economic growth and employment opportunities.
Selma Malika Haddadi, deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission, said the continent had made progress in areas such as regional integration, infrastructure development and digital transformation, particularly through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area.
However, she warned that Africa continued to face serious constraints in financing sustainable development, creating jobs, strengthening climate resilience and reducing inequality within and between countries.
“With less than five years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we must shift from incremental progress to transformational change,” she said.
Haddadi called for stronger policy coordination across national, regional and continental frameworks, alongside increased investment in critical sectors such as water, energy, infrastructure and sustainable cities. She also emphasised the need for closer cooperation between governments, the private sector and development partners.
Lok Bahadur Thapa, president of the UN Economic and Social Council, highlighted the scale of Africa’s development challenges, noting that around 600 million people on the continent still lack access to electricity.
He said many countries also continue to struggle with access to safe drinking water and other essential services, underscoring persistent gaps in basic infrastructure.
Thapa warned that Africa faces an annual financing gap estimated at between $670 billion and $848 billion, driven by rising debt vulnerabilities, weak domestic revenue mobilisation, fluctuating foreign investment and declining official development assistance.
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He urged African countries to focus more on raising domestic resources to reduce reliance on external financing and strengthen long-term development sustainability.
The discussions come at a time when African economies are facing multiple external pressures, including global financial tightening, commodity price volatility and the impact of geopolitical conflicts on trade and energy markets.
Officials at the forum stressed that without faster progress and significantly higher investment, many of the SDG targets risk being missed by the 2030 deadline.
The forum is expected to conclude with policy recommendations aimed at accelerating implementation, strengthening partnerships and mobilising additional financing for development across the continent.
