Leaders of Europe’s 27 Member States recently endorsed the European Commission's historic recovery proposal dubbed NextGenerationEU. Europe will have at its disposal a recovery tool worth 750 billion EUR to support those hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic which will be topped up to 1.8 trillion EUR.

The leaders agreed that the Union should be judged on what it can offer for the future. That vision of a common future enabled us to take every bold step in our history:

Treading on the success of uniting Europe after the Second World War, the end of the Cold War, creating a common market and introducing a common currency, the Union is keen to be judged on what it can offer for the future.

Can the African Union learn from this, pull each other through and invest in a common future? Faced by the Covid-19 pandemic, the better off countries are likely to survive while the most vulnerable will pay a heavy price. This can be avoided if African Union member states proactively get back to their feet, marshall resources and pull each other up to realize a stable post covid-19 Africa.

The harsh impact of COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping through all sectors in Africa. Is Africa preparing for the post COVID-19 reality? Join Africa thought leaders during the 10th IREN East Africa Thought Leaders Forum to explore this topic