With just five years left to meet global and continental development targets, African governments are shifting the way they plan and finance national priorities. The focus is turning toward long-term, integrated planning that links policy ambition with realistic budgeting and resource strategies.
This evolving approach was the focus of a side event at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), co-organized by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), UN DESA and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The session explored how African countries are applying future-oriented planning methods to address persistent financing challenges and accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063.
Rather than tackling development bottlenecks in isolation, participants stressed the importance of systems thinking, looking at the broader structures that give rise to gaps in infrastructure, development financing and social spending. Linking planning with budgeting, implementation and institutional capacity was presented as essential for making better use of limited resources
“Long-term planning pushes countries to think beyond the immediate, ensuring that development strategies are more adaptive, coordinated and resilient,” said Nassim Oulmane, Chief of the Green and Blue Economy Section at ECA.
Country examples reinforced this message. Ethiopia is implementing a ten-year national plan supported by new tax and revenue measures. Uganda is aligning its national planning processes with the SDGs. Sierra Leone is applying long-term approaches at the sector level, and Nigeria is coordinating development plans across both national and state institutions.
All four countries are also participating in follow-up to the Seville Financing for Development (FfD4) conference, where domestic resource mobilization featured prominently.
To support these efforts, ECA and APRM are promoting practical tools like the Integrated Regional Planning Toolkit (IRPT), which helps governments embed long-term planning into national strategies and financial frameworks.
The session also underscored the broader economic stakes. Africa continues to lose significant capital through leakages and inefficiencies, undermining development even in countries with strong growth potential. By planning more strategically and investing in anticipatory systems, countries can position themselves to mobilize internal resources and build more resilient economies.
With global financing under strain and aid flows declining, participants agreed that better planning is not just a technical fix but a strategic necessity. As Africa moves through the Decade of Acceleration, how governments plan, and how effectively those plans are linked to implementation, may well determine the pace of progress.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
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