Africa’s Agenda 2063 and Justice: Fighting for Reparations or Building a Thriving Africa?

By Ephraim Ofori Numosuor, Financial Economist, Research and Policy Analyst The African Union’s 2025 theme launched at the ongoing 38th ordinary session on 15th February 2025, has called for Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations. This theme reignites a crucial debate: Should Africa and its diaspora seek reparations for past atrocities from the West, or should we take full responsibility for shaping our own destiny and prosperity? While both approaches address historical injustices, the answer must align with Africa’s long-term vision encapsulated in Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. The Case for Reparations: A Long Overdue Justice The Transatlantic Slave Trade, colonial exploitation, and neocolonial economic structures have inflicted immense suffering on Africa and its people. The demand for reparations is not merely about financial compensation; it is a call for accountability, recognition, and restoration. Several compelling arguments support the case for reparations: Historical Redress and Economic Repair: Africa’s underdevelopment is deeply rooted in centuries of extraction, enslavement, and imposed economic systems that continue to benefit Western nations. Reparations could help bridge the economic gap through financial restitution, technological transfers, and debt relief. Precedents in Global Justice: Germany compensated Holocaust survivors, and the United States has...