African Media Globe urges AU and African leaders to dismantle systems perpetuating poverty and inequality

Accra, Oct. 17, GNA – The African Media Globe (AMG) has called on African leaders and the African Union (AU) to take decisive action to dismantle economic and governance structures that sustain dependency, corruption, and unequal access to opportunities across the continent.

In a statement issued to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, signed by AMG Secretary Charles Sylvanus Boye, the organisation stressed that poverty eradication will remain elusive unless Africa addresses underlying causes such as poor leadership, resource exploitation, weak institutions, youth unemployment, and gender inequality.

“Africa’s poverty is not natural; it is man-made and sustained by systems that deny citizens the benefits of their own wealth,” the statement said.

AMG President Shirley Asiedu-Addo urged the AU to spearhead a continental conversation on justice, equity, and resource management to ensure that Africa’s wealth serves its people rather than external interests. She emphasised that poverty in Africa is a result of structural and systemic injustices rather than mere scarcity, and that ending it requires focusing on dignity, justice, and belonging, not just income.

This year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed on October 17, focused on ending social and institutional maltreatment, ensuring effective support for families, and prioritising those furthest behind to help them thrive and shape their own futures.

The media network urged African governments to harness the continent’s natural, human, and creative resources to create jobs, empower youth and women, and strengthen local industries. Investment in education, innovation, and social protection was highlighted as critical to building resilient economies that leave no citizen behind.

As a continental alliance of media professionals, AMG reaffirmed the media’s role in raising awareness, holding leaders accountable, and promoting people-centred development. The organisation pledged to continue amplifying voices from marginalised communities and showcasing local solutions to poverty across Africa.

“The time has come for Africa to write its own story, one where poverty is not destiny but a chapter. We have the power to close it,” AMG concluded.