The former World Bank Vice President, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has challenged all African leaders that for Africa continent to be transformed into the global powerhouse of the future, economic development and sustainable growth should be their watchword.

Dr. Ezekwesili made the call during a two-day International Pan-African Symposium on Challenges of Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa, organized by CEOAfrica in collaboration with Chrisland University Abeokuta, held at the University auditorium, Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.

The co-founder of “BRING BACK OUR GIRLS”, Ezekwesili, charged African leaders to develop the Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) of their countries, if they are interested in the growth of the continent.

According to Ezekwesili, African countries lack quality education, good infrastructure, equipment and adequate medical facilities.

The former Minister of Education stressed that African countries had failed to address the problems of poverty, unemployment, inequality, insecurity and climate change, which stance to be a stumbling block if the needful is not done.

Ezekwesili slammed African leaders for making laws and policies that benefit a few of their citizens, leaving the majority in abject poverty.

According to her, “Many politicians in Africa enter politics because of buying and selling. Only what interests them is when they hear of contracts.

“The role of a leader should have nothing to do with transactions. You have many walking on the streets suffering to get contracts. Go to India and study what their leaders did before they could develop to that level.”

She lamented that the continent had been ranked as the poorest continent, thus there is need for all Africans, especially the leaders to forthwith, exploit the continent’s “Agenda 2063, a call for realisation by African leaders that there was a need to refocus and reprioritise Africa’s agenda aimed at repositioning the continent  to becoming a dominant player in the global arena”.

In that same breath, the former vice-President of Liberia, Joseph Nyumah Boakai urged African countries to embrace peaceful, free and credible elections.

According to the vice president, African countries are not developing politically and economically because the majority of the youths are unemployed.

He also stressed on the need for Africa countries to develop their GDPs, while urging African leaders to embrace a pan-African economic development, saying it would help the continent to compete with   other continents.