AU positions sport as engine of jobs, unity and growth under Agenda 2063

Africa, Sports

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon (NPA) — The African Union says sport is increasingly becoming a strategic driver of economic growth, job creation, and continental unity as Africa seeks to redefine its global influence under Agenda 2063.

This position was highlighted in an engagement with the Head of the African Union Sports Council, Chipande, who outlined how the AU is repositioning sport as a central pillar of development policy across member states.

The African Union Sports Council (AUSC), a specialised technical office of the African Union, was established following the endorsement of its statute by African Heads of State and Government in 2016. It is headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and serves as the coordinating body for the African sports movement.

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Its mandate includes coordinating sports policy development across member states, promoting sport as a fundamental human right, and advancing “sport-for-development” initiatives aimed at youth empowerment, skills development, and social integration.

The council is also responsible for facilitating the alignment of national sports policies with the African Union framework for sustainable sports development, as well as overseeing the organisation of the African Games and improving their global profile.

In addition, the AUSC promotes good governance, democratic values, human rights, gender equality, and social inclusion within the sports sector, while strengthening cooperation among member states.

Sport governance in Africa has evolved through decades of institutional reform. The structure traces its roots to the 1966 establishment of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA), which was later recognised by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) as the coordinating body for continental sports development.

Following the formation of the African Union in 2002, member states pushed for a renewed sports architecture aligned with continental development goals. This led to the dissolution of the SCSA in 2012 and the creation of a new framework approved in 2016, culminating in the establishment of the current AUSC.

The AUSC Secretariat, based in Yaoundé, serves as the administrative hub of the institution, coordinating programmes, research, conferences, and implementation of policy decisions under the guidance of a Sports Advisory Board. It is staffed by professionals under the African Union Commission and oversees day-to-day operations of continental sports initiatives.

Officials say the integration of sport into Africa’s development agenda reflects a broader shift toward leveraging the sports and creative economy as tools for employment generation, regional integration, and global competitiveness.