Many of Africa challenges are largely attributable to bad leadership. This will continue to be a big challenge affecting development in Africa, unless there’s structural transformation through a shift in mindsets. The entrenched poor governance in Africa characterized by self-enrichment at the expense of the masses is the result of a state of mind, fostered by perpetuation of falsified information intended to mislead.
Our continent suffers from a poor style of political and economic guidance in that the concept of capacity building in leadership formation does not include character as an essential element of leadership.
I always encourage the young people to aim for impact in society for the sake of national development, instead of just taking from it. We shouldn’t waste an opportunity to groom the young agents of change into responsible leadership so they can be properly oriented as regards servant leadership at an early age. We are moving from a mindset of compromise to character and conviction.
Why have African abundant of resources not benefited its people?
African resources have greatly enriched a self-serving leadership, rather than improving society and lifting people out of poverty.
A study by Natural Resource Governance analyzed the performance of 28 Sub-African countries and found out that these countries are lagging behind other nations in terms of development, while managing billions of dollars in resource revenues. The problem in Africa is mismanagement of resources by poor leadership. The value of resource exploitation by Western corporations should have built up sufficient wealth for African nations, but corrupt leaders have sold out their countries for personal gains.
Way forward:
Data has proven that significant development is unattainable with the current state of affairs.
So what’s the answer?
The truth is, if any meaningful development is to be genuinely achieved in Africa, it will take a collaborative effort between the young and the old. Young people are more in touch with the world around them, hence aware of the problems that need to be addressed. We can partner with them and leverage their fresh innovative solutions.
Additionally, let the older individuals maximize the potential of the young by providing quality mentorship and capacity building programs. This will prepare them for the challenges ahead as they navigate the growing complexity of socio-economic issues faced by society today. Allow them to get involved in nation building because they have ample amounts of time to accomplish much in the long run.
We can't sit on the sidelines as African people and continue to be the recipients of foreigner’s aid. We know our territory better than they do, hence African people should bear the greatest responsibility for the needs of their community. Overdependence on the western world will lead to further exploitative relationships, where the wealth of the west is built on Africa's exploitation while we remain impoverished.
1 comment
Impressive 🙌