The 2020 edition of the African Economic Conference (AEC) commenced virtually to discuss solutions to ensure Africa builds for the future in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

Themed “Africa beyond Covid-19: acceleration towards inclusive sustainable development” the conference called on policymakers, researchers, development partners, and champions of policy change to design solutions for the bright future of the continent. Part of the panel included the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Uneca), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

During the conference, the AfDB Director of Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research, Akina Adesina, Hanan Morsy, said the bank is working with regional institutions to build a resilient and forward-looking health defence system for Africa. “The current pandemic provides the opportunity to test and improve the region’s response and adaptation capacity. As knowledge of the virus evolves, Africa has to learn fast and increase its resilience, converting knowledge into policy research and the resulting operational guidance,” she said