As one of the ways of tackling underdevelopment challenges in Africa, delegates from other African countries on Sunday 23rd June, 2019 arrived at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, for a two-day International Pan-African conference organized by CEOAfrica in collaboration with Chrisland University with the theme ‘’ Challenges of Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa’’.
Among the national and international personalities that graced the conference was, the former Liberian Vice-President Joseph Nyuma Boakai; former World Bank Vice President, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; Prof. Charles Binam Bikoi, Executive Secretary, International Centre for Research and Documentation on African Traditions and Languages (CERDOTOLA); the Chancellor of Chrisland University, High Chief Dr Wilfred Awosika (OON); the Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University,Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola; Vice Chancellor of Crown University, Prof. Sir Bashir Aremu, Delegates from Liberia, including ministers, commissioners, media personnel; and others.
The conference which took place at the Chrisland University auditorium was officially flagged off on Monday 24th June, 2019 by former Liberian VP and Chairman of the conference, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, with the aim of providing an interdisciplinary platform for academics, researchers, policymakers, Civil Societies, students, Diplomats, CEOs and others.
In showing the delegates that Africa, most especially Nigeria has some preserved cultures and arts, a memorable tour was made by the organizers to the palace of Alake of Egba land, Oba Michael Adedokun Gbadebo and later to the famous tourist centre in Abeokuta ‘’The great Olumo rock’’ as this show how Abeokuta is really blessed with such tourist centre.
While responding to journalists questions at the press conference, the VP raised his voice to the African youths, as he urged African leaders to make the youths their top priority.
“Apart from provision of qualitative education, African leaders should also provide job opportunities, good medical services and social infrastructure for youths in order to promote the well-beings and to tighten the security of the continent. I believed the issue of insecurity is related to the issues of underdevelopment, hopelessness and the lack of confidence that the country can provide’’, the VP said.
Also in his statements, he said, “If you begin to invest in your country and improve the condition of people and building that love of the country in people, that they can live in peace and can find equitable return to their efforts, the young will begin to see value in themselves and there should be no reason for serious conflict”.
While speaking further at the conference “the youths need assurance, confidence and support about development, good medical services, and good paying jobs. I think when we do that, the youth won’t want to destroy their future for which they are learning. They need that hope demonstrated by the leadership, good governance” he said.
The ex-VP, Boakai charged all African countries to embrace peaceful, free and credible elections; urged leaders to embrace a pan-African economic development and hoped that with oneness of Africans would help the continent to compete with other continents.
In her address as one of the keynote speakers, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, the former World Bank Vice president stressed on the need for African leaders to wear the mind-set of seeing Africa excel as a continent among its contemporaries as economic development and sustainable growth should be their watchwords if they really want growth for the continent.
Ezekwesili while condemning some of the policies enacted by African leaders, she said, ‘’Many African politicians enter politics because of buying and selling as what interest them most is when they hear of contracts. Therefore, African leaders only make laws and policies that benefit a few of their citizens and leaving the majority to live vulnerable in abject poverty’’.
While speaking further in reference to the present India development, “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. In lieu of this, Africa must get economic growth, without economic growth, we cannot be on the way to economic development as the duo are crucial to our continent” the Chibok Girl’s activist added.
However, Ezekwesili urged Nigerians to imbibe the habit of celebrating people who are worth celebrating, because Nigerians, she said are fond of celebrating unnecessary things.
She stated this, in respect to the Chancellor of Chrisland University, High Chief Dr. Wilfred Awosika (OON), who has been one of the leading forces in promoting education across Nigeria while she also thanked the Chancellor for her great achievement in being the pillar of Chrisland schools for forty years.
Prof. Charles Binam Bikoi, Executive Secretary, International Centre for Research and Documentation on African Traditions and Languages (CERDOTOLA), in his keynote address, titled “Afrocentric Communication and the Economy of Affection: Projects and Prospects of Traditions in Africa’s Optimum Development.”, said that entrepreneurship with enduring ideas bring together people in targeting optimum development in any nation.
“The conference is aimed at operationalizing knowledge, determination, ideas to make Africa fulfill sovereignty among other nations” he said.
He stressed that the Africa people are creative thinkers and will only grow rapidly if they harness their ingenuity.
“Indeed, contemporary African entrepreneurs are and will increasingly be creative thinkers and visionaries who can produce their own new ideas, harness the potential of available ideas, including abstract ones, tap into their often-unsuspected implications, potential and productivity, and then convert them into products and services, and sometimes, much needed commodities. Truth be told, if we do not come out with our own ideas, we found ourselves using those of others, often unbeknownst to ourselves” he said.
Prof. Bikoi further stressed that for the continent to reach her optimum development, the traditional health and its systematical existence should be commercialized as they are the real economy for majority.
“The traditional health and subsistence systems are not just waiting to be industrialized, they are the real economy for the majority, and thus the ones that would serve, reach, enrich and mobilize most African people whenever new concept for endogenous industrialization are operationalized to industrialize them. This process is what we propose to term Indus Traditions”.
“For a concurrent transformation throughout the continent of Africa, as many countries as possible should organize and determine the areas and modalities of complementarity and competition in the Indus Traditions process”.
‘’I would therefore like to urge us all to use our influence and persuade our governments to do so and unlock Africa’s optimum development, Africa needs a new, genuine and original social contract for its development. This social contract can be achieved by entering into an African Pact for Development and Emergence through Traditions – the PADETRA”, he added.
Earlier in her remark, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola affirmed that the conference was meant to attract brilliant minds across Africa to discuss the challenges militating against development in the continent and proffer solutions”.
Watch the Openining Ceremony below:
