By: Mavis Offei Acheampong
The Young Economic Scholars Meeting in Dakar has ended with renewed calls to empower a new generation of economists to shape development and economic transformation across the Global South.
The Dakar conference also revisited the long-standing proposal for a common African currency backed by a robust central bank, aligned with innovations in digital currencies emerging across the continent.
Presenting on international finance, Prof. C.P. Chandrasekhar of Jawaharlal Nehru University pointed to a sharp rise in capital flows from commercial banks and private bond markets into low- and middle-income countries—money driven largely by investors seeking higher returns.
He further noted China’s expanding bilateral financial support to struggling developing economies.
Meanwhile, Prof. Horace Campbell of Syracuse University renewed calls for the creation of a Pan-African Gold Council—a critical step, he said, toward building a unified African currency and ensuring better protection and regulation for miners across the continent.
Closing the three-day meeting, the Executive Director of IDEAS, Mr. Charles Abugre, emphasized the need for countries within the Global South to groom forward-looking economists capable of steering sustainable growth and safeguarding economic sovereignty.
With its Global South network, IDAN, the International Development Economists Associates—IDEAS, says it is committed to training young economists who can creatively transform resources and improve livelihoods across developing economies.
