National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has been nominated and approved to serve as the inaugural Chairman of the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI) for a three-year term.
The appointment was made during a gathering of political parties from across Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, over the weekend, where participants discussed the role political parties must play in shaping the continent’s economic future.
In a statement following his appointment, Mr Asiedu Nketia said the discussions focused on whether political parties could move beyond their traditional role of winning elections to become active contributors to Africa’s economic transformation.
He noted that the continent faces a major employment challenge, with between 10 and 12 million young Africans entering the labour market annually, while only about three million formal jobs are created to accommodate them.
According to him, addressing the gap requires political parties to develop expertise in critical sectors such as agriculture, trade, energy and public finance, rather than focusing solely on election campaigns.
He also stressed the need for governments to sustain successful policies beyond changes in political leadership and ensure that women and young people are actively involved in decisions concerning national budgets.
Mr Asiedu Nketia said the initiative would pursue these objectives under its Agenda 2040 framework, aimed at strengthening the capacity of political parties to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s economic development.
He expressed appreciation to the political parties that supported the initiative, the Africa Governance Centre and the Ethiopian hosts for their contributions to the gathering.
