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.