Mr Benjamin Anyagre Aziginaateeg, Leader of the AfriKan Continental Union Consult (ACUC), has urged African governments to strengthen accountability and prioritise development-oriented public expenditure to improve the living standards of their citizens.
Mr Aziginaateeg said many African countries generated substantial revenues through taxation, natural resources, state enterprises, foreign grants and borrowing, yet the expected improvements in infrastructure, healthcare, education, housing and industrialisation had not materialised in many parts of the continent.
In a policy paper, he described the situation as Africa’s “revenue versus development paradox,” arguing that the major challenge was not the generation of public revenue but the effective management and utilisation of those resources.
He said governments must distinguish between expenditure that merely sustains the operations of the state and expenditure that creates long-term economic and social value.
According to him, investments in roads, railways, ports, energy infrastructure, schools, hospitals, housing and industrial parks generate lasting economic benefits by creating jobs, expanding the tax base and supporting future development.
“Infrastructure is not a cost; it is an investment with enduring economic and social returns,” he said.
Mr Aziginaateeg noted that countries that had achieved sustained development generally maintained strong institutions, enforced accountability and directed public resources towards projects that improved the welfare of their citizens.
He argued that public revenue should be regarded as a trust held on behalf of citizens and managed transparently to maximise public benefit.
“The most meaningful benchmark for any budget is not the revenue it raises, but the value it creates for society,” he said.
Mr Aziginaateeg called for greater fiscal discipline, stronger institutions and accountable leadership to ensure that public resources translated into measurable improvements in healthcare, education, housing, infrastructure and employment.
He said every public expenditure should be assessed based on its contribution to improving the lives of present and future generations, adding that accountability should go beyond preventing corruption to ensuring that public funds delivered tangible development outcomes.
Mr Aziginaateeg said Africa’s long-term prosperity would depend not only on its natural resource endowment but also on the integrity, discipline and strategic management of those resources.
He maintained that accountable leadership, sound public financial management and a commitment to the common good remained essential to achieving sustainable development across the continent.
