Addressing a high-level African Union meeting, Dr. Nsengiyumva congratulated H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his leadership of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) over the past three years.

“Your guidance and strategic engagement have been invaluable,” he said, praising President El-Sisi’s stewardship of the Committee.

The Prime Minister also commended H.E. President João Lourenço for his continued support to AUDA-NEPAD in his role as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, and expressed appreciation to Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, for her commitment to strengthening the agency as Africa’s premier development institution.

Dr. Nsengiyumva noted that Africa is meeting at a time marked by shifting geopolitical dynamics, constrained resources, and increasing pressure on multilateral systems, stressing that sustainable and transformative solutions must originate from within the continent.

“The most sustainable and transformative solutions must come from within our continent,” he said.

He emphasized that while partnerships remain important and welcome, external contributions should not significantly outpace those of African Union Member States, describing this principle as central to the AU Reform agenda and the continent’s shared commitment to ownership and self-reliance.

In this regard, the Prime Minister commended AUDA-NEPAD for advancing continental financing mechanisms, including the Alliance of African Multilateral Financing Institutions, the proposed African Development Fund, the 5% Pension Fund Agenda, and stronger engagement with the private sector, noting that these initiatives are critical to building a resilient and autonomous financial architecture for Africa’s development.

As AU Champion for Domestic Health Financing, he welcomed the continued progress of Regional Health Financing Hubs, now operational across EAC, IGAD, SADC, ECOWAS, and ECCAS, which are supporting Member States through technical assistance and national dialogues aimed at strengthening domestic resource mobilisation and accountability.

To maximise their impact, Dr. Nsengiyumva encouraged the African Union and Regional Economic Communities to institutionalise the hubs with dedicated staffing and sustainable budget lines.

He also welcomed the establishment of the Collaborating Centre for Health Market Development under the PIFAH initiative, which will support investment analytics, project preparation, and capacity building, while advancing high-impact opportunities across digital health, manufacturing, human capital development, innovation, and research.

The Prime Minister further highlighted the Horizon initiative, supported by the Gates Foundation and OpenAI, which aims to deploy AI-enabled tools within primary healthcare systems, noting that such innovations could improve efficiency, address workforce shortages, and expand access to healthcare across the continent.

He also underscored the ongoing operationalisation of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) as a significant milestone. The transfer of the AMRH and AU-3S programmes to the AMA strengthens continental coordination in medicines regulation and safety, and advances collective efforts to combat substandard and falsified pharmaceuticals.

Concluding his remarks, Dr. Nsengiyumva urged African leaders to seize the moment with renewed ambition, innovation, and collective responsibility.

“This is the surest path toward realising the Africa we want,” he said.