MALABO — South African President Jacob Zuma called on African nations Wednesday to contribute resources to sustain continental development, amid funding concerns prompted by the Arab uprising.
Africa is moving in the right direction with a focus on economic growth, but needs funds to maintain the momentum, Zuma told delegates in Equatorial Guinea ahead of an African Union summit opening Thursday.
"Africa is now proclaimed as the world's most profitable region, according to leading economists," Zuma told a meeting of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), adopted 10 years ago.
"Economic growth rates for the continent for 2012 are predicted between 5.5 and 5.8 percent," he said, adding Africa was the third fastest growing region in the world.
Programmes of NEPAD, which falls under the African Union (AU), have been hampered by a lack of funding. They are intended to address escalating poverty and underdevelopment.
The AU has had to embark on cost cutting measures with two of its major funders -- Egypt and Libya -- in turmoil after political uprisings this year.
"If we are indeed devoted to ensuring NEPAD continues to be a success, we must as Africans ensure that we commit financial resources to this programme, individually, as states and collectively," Zuma said.
The continent must unite in "the war against poverty, hunger, homelessness and under-development, by ensuring that these programmes are sustainable," he said.
It had strengthen collaboration with "friends of Africa and existing multilateral partnerships" and the private sector, Zuma said.
China, India and other emerging countries are becoming major investors and trade partners.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan urged at the meeting for the AU to look into funding itself through taxes on resources like airlines, as in the west Africa grouping ECOWAS.
Egypt and Libya along with Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria pay 15 percent each towards the African Union budget, together making up 75 percent and raising concerns about the fallout of the uprisings in north Africa.
The African Union opens a two-day summit outside the Equatorial Guinea capital on Thursday with a key focus on the crisis in oil-rich Libya and Moamer Kadhafi's refusal to step down under mounting pressure.
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