By Damilare Adeleye
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) have raised concerns over growing global economic volatility.
They warned that escalating shocks particularly from the ongoing Middle East conflict pose significant risks to African economies.
In a joint brief, the institutions outlined practical recommendations for crisis response and long-term resilience building across the continent.
They cited rising energy, food, and fertilizer prices as key pressure points.
This disclosure was made on the sidelines of the 58th Session of the Economic Commission for Africa in Tangier, where principals of the four organizations assessed the implications of the conflict on Africa’s economic outlook.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, warned that the continued escalation of the crisis could deepen global instability.
“Continued escalation of the conflict worsens global instability, with serious implications for energy markets, food security, and economic resilience particularly in Africa, where economic pressures remain acute,” he stated.
According to the report, current global shocks are spreading faster and through more concentrated channels than previous disruptions, leaving African economies with limited time to adjust.
The brief noted that global oil prices surged by over 50 percent as of late March, while 29 African currencies have depreciated.
This depreciation has increased the cost of servicing external debt and importing essential commodities such as food, fuel, and fertilizer.
The report further highlighted disruptions in Gulf energy supplies, which have constrained access to key agricultural inputs like ammonia and urea during the critical March–May planting season.
These disruptions raise concerns about reduced agricultural output and worsening food insecurity, particularly among low-income households and import-dependent economies.
Describing the situation as both a challenge and an opportunity, the Executive Secretary of UNECA, Claver Gatete, said Africa must take decisive steps to reduce its vulnerability to external shocks.
“Africa has been hit by too many external shocks not of its making. This moment calls for decisive action to protect people now, but also to accelerate Africa’s long-term push toward energy security, food sovereignty, and financial self-reliance,” he said.
Similarly, UNDP’s Regional Director for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, emphasized the need for strong leadership and coordinated policy responses. She stated, “With the right mix of policy choices, financing tools, and political resolve, Africa can weather this shock and emerge more resilient, more self-reliant, and better positioned to shape its own economic future.”
The brief recommended a three-pronged approach to addressing the crisis. This begins with immediate measures to cushion households and stabilize the supply of fuel, food, and fertilizer, supported by governments, development partners, and the private sector. In the medium term, it calls for reforms focused on strengthening energy security, expanding targeted social protection, and boosting regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
For the long term, the institutions advocated structural reforms aimed at improving domestic resource mobilization and establishing African financial safety nets, including the accelerated implementation of the African Financing Stability Mechanism.
President of the AfDB, Sidi Ould Tah, stressed the urgency of coordinated action. “As global crises multiply, Africa’s response must evolve from managing shocks to fostering resilience. African institutions and development partners need to act swiftly and in concert, leveraging their comparative advantages to cushion short-term shocks while laying the foundations for long-term resilience,” he said.
The institutions concluded that strengthening regional integration, promoting African-led financial solutions, and investing in energy, food, and trade systems will be critical to moving the continent from vulnerability to sustained economic preparedness.