GABORONE – President Duma Gideon Boko has called for a bold shift in Africa’s development model, urging governments and stakeholders to move beyond the extraction of raw materials and focus on value addition, beneficiation, technology, and creating opportunities for the continent’s growing youthful population.

Addressing a gathering of professionals and experts, President Boko said Africa must take greater control of its economic future by ensuring that its natural resources generate greater benefits within the continent.

“A vision is not self-executing. It requires people, real people, to execute that vision,” he said, thanking experts and partners who have offered their knowledge, experience and networks to support an initiative he described as significant for Botswana and the broader African continent.

The President noted that Africa’s economic structure has historically centred on extracting raw materials for processing elsewhere, but said there is growing recognition across the continent that countries must increasingly retain value through local processing, technological innovation and industrial development.

He stressed that governments alone do not possess all the expertise needed to address complex development challenges and must be willing to collaborate with specialists from different sectors.

“Government must understand its limitations and create space for people with the right skills, experience and networks to contribute,” he said.

President Boko also underscored the importance of ensuring that discussions about Africa’s future are driven from within the continent rather than from abroad.

He said Botswana aims to position itself as a platform where global and African thinkers can come together to engage with the continent’s realities and help shape solutions from an African perspective.

Drawing inspiration from Botswana’s natural attractions, including the Okavango Delta, the President said the country has the potential to become a hub for innovation, technology and new ideas.

The initiative will focus on key development priorities, including value addition and beneficiation of natural resources, technology investment, technology-responsive development strategies, stronger regional collaboration and expanded opportunities for young Africans.

President Boko described Africa’s rapidly growing youth population as both a challenge and a major opportunity, calling for platforms that allow young people to channel their energy, creativity and ambition into meaningful participation and innovation.

He said discussions with countries such as Namibia and Angola have already revealed strong interest in collaborative initiatives that could deliver greater benefits collectively than individual countries can achieve on their own.

Calling for urgency in implementation, President Boko urged governments and partners to remain flexible and responsive to changing circumstances.

“We must be agile. We must be able to move. We must be responsive to circumstances that will not lie still and wait on us,” he said.

He concluded by expressing optimism that the initiative could exceed expectations and make a lasting contribution to Africa’s transformation, while thanking experts and partners for their willingness to support the vision.