African leaders and policy experts have called for a fundamental shift in how the continent approaches migration, leadership and economic integration, arguing that Africa’s future prosperity will depend on breaking down borders, strengthening institutions and creating greater opportunities for its people to move, trade and work across the continent.

The call was made during an intergenerational dialogue titled “From Vision and Ambition to Institutions, Execution & Integrated Markets,” held in Kigali as part of discussions on Africa’s leadership and development future.

Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, said Pan-Africanism remains an important foundation of Africa’s freedom and development, recalling how Africans across the continent supported liberation struggles beyond their national borders.

“The anchor of our freedom today is Pan-Africanism,” Mene said, highlighting the solidarity that existed among Africans during the struggle against apartheid.

He recalled that civil servants in Nigeria contributed to a fund supporting the fight against apartheid, describing it as an example of the continental unity Africa needs to revive.

Mene also drew attention to Africa’s restrictive migration systems, particularly the difficulty Africans face when travelling within their own continent.

“Over 90% of Africans need a visa to visit African countries, while over 90% of Europeans don’t need a visa to visit most African countries. This has to change,” he said.

His remarks placed migration at the centre of Africa’s integration agenda, with greater freedom of movement seen as essential to increasing trade, investment, tourism, employment and people-to-people connections.

Former Vice President of The Gambia, H.E. Fatoumata Jallow Tambajang, praised the founders of the African School of Governance, including President Paul Kagame and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, describing the institution as a lasting contribution to Africa’s intellectual and leadership development.

“It is really a testament to legacy and a repository of knowledge on the African continent,” she said.

Tambajang also challenged African women to take a more active role in leadership, urging them not to wait for opportunities to be offered.

“To women – never wait for a seat on the table. Invite yourself to the table,” she said.

Reflecting on Rwanda’s transformation, she added: “The soil of Rwanda never changed, but the leadership and its future did for the better.”

For younger Africans, Caren Wakoli, Founder and CEO of the Emerging Leaders Foundation, said meaningful transformation must begin with individuals before it can reshape institutions.

“If only we can do the inner work,” Wakoli said, urging young Africans to recognise that they cannot expect the world to deliver progress to them.

She stressed that while strong institutions are necessary, people remain at the centre of their success.

“Institutions are great in getting us there, but remember that people lead institutions,” she said, calling for a shift in thinking capable of producing stronger African leadership.

H.E. Monica Geingos, Third First Lady of Namibia and Founder and Chairperson of Leadership Lab Yetu, called for greater cooperation among Africa’s leadership institutions and networks.

“We are in Kigali because of the ecosystem that has built itself like the African School of Governance. My wish is that we break the silos and coalesce around the ASG,” she said.

Geingos also noted that Africa’s liberation leaders built strong relationships and networks across national boundaries, something she believes the continent’s younger leaders must develop further.

“African freedom fighters knew each other and they had a synergy and chemistry,” she said, adding that the emerging generation of African leaders has yet to fully develop that same level of continental connection.

Dr Kofo Obasanjo, a global supply chain and transformation leader, author and African policy writer, said Africa’s development agenda must ultimately give younger generations greater freedom to determine their own futures.

“Creating an Africa that we want should also be about giving our children the privilege of choice,” she said.

She also identified the African diaspora as a major resource, pointing to its ability to move capital, knowledge and networks between Africa and the rest of the world.

“The diaspora is one of Africa’s strategic assets by way of circulation – moving capital, moving networks, and moving knowledge,” Obasanjo said, asking how the continent can better harness that potential.

Meanwhile, Lennon Monyae, Coordinator of the Africa Peer Review Mechanism Youth Network, highlighted the continent’s low levels of intra-African trade.

“The intra-African trade that sits below 20% needs to rise and create jobs across the continent,” he said.

The discussions underscored a common message: Africa’s integration cannot be achieved through economic agreements alone.

Easier movement of people, stronger institutions, connected markets, empowered young leaders and greater continental cooperation will all be necessary to translate Pan-African ambitions into tangible opportunities.

As Africa seeks to deepen the implementation of the AfCFTA, speakers argued that the continent must move beyond simply imagining an integrated Africa and begin removing the political, institutional and physical barriers that continue to keep Africans apart.