Former Liberian Vice-President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Monday in Abeokuta, Nigeria, tasked African leaders to advance the Gross Domestic Product of their countries.

Boakai who was among notable dignitaries, at the just concluded International Pan-African Conference organized by CEO Africa in collaboration with Chrisland University, Abeokuta, made the urgent call to African leaders.

The two-day conference, which was designed to attempt providing answers to the foregoing overarching questions on the growth and development of Africa. had the theme, ‘Challenges of Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa’.

According to Boakai, Africa been ranked as the poorest continent in the world is a thing to lament for, and the needful has to be done to salvage the pride of Africa.

Boakai further tasked African countries to embrace peaceful, free and credible elections, as these will reposition Africa to becoming a dominant player in the global field.

On the aspect of economic and political growth, the former vice president stressed that African countries are not developing because majority of the youths are unemployed.

However, Boakai urged African leaders to embrace a pan-African economic development, saying it would help the continent to compete with other continents.

Recall that CEOAfrica had earlier reported that former World Bank Vice-President, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, tasked all African leaders to make economic development and sustainable growth their watchword, if they want to see Africa transformed into the global powerhouse of the future.

Ezekwesili in terms of political development hinted that African leaders make 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 added.