Ogun Assembly Speaker Identifies Conditions For African Development
Africa’s sustainable growth and development could only be achieved when Legislative arm of member States become more proactive by investing in youth development through legislations that place them at the top of developmental and political agenda.
The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Suraju Ishola Adekunbi gave the charge while declaring open the General Assembly of the 9th African Youth and Governance Conference led by Hon Olusola Amusan held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan. Adekunbi explained that it was time for African leaders to adopt new ideas of governance by instilling fresh perspectives to cope with the rapidly changing world order.
He decried the lip services to youth development by African leaders over the years, which according to him had contributed to the slow pace of the continent’s development among her peers in the world, stating that it was time to wake up to the responsibility of building future leaders through mobilization of resources to provide best opportunities for young generation.
The Speaker counseled youth to seize the opportunity provided by the forum to prove their worth to the older generation that they possess the required quality to stand tall anywhere in the globe, with an assurance that the communiqué issued at the General Assembly would convince present African Leaders of the readiness of the youth to take over the running of the affairs of the continent.
Adekunbi, who appreciated the Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for their commitment to youth emancipation, stressed that the array of youth the Assembly paraded rekindled the hope that “the future of Africa is secure”.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Youth Bridge Foundation, Seth Oteng said that African youth held the key to the continent’s integration and progress in leadership and governance, explaining that investing in the continent’s human capital for peace and development was the way forward and must be integrated into the long term development agenda of all African States.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chief Coordinator, Youth Development Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Ayo Aderinwale identified poverty as the biggest Africa problem, positing the only antidote to it was wealth creation. He counseled youth to always take accountability serious and remain focus on developmental issues.
At the Assembly, resolutions unanimously passed by the Committee on Entrepreneurship and Investment Opportunities, urged African governments to initiate and execute long-term developmental plans through Independent National Development Planning Authorities with effective legal frameworks, which subsequent governments should oblique to follow. He underscored the need for public-private partnership in advancing employment generation for the teaming youth on the continent.
The Assembly encouraged youths to take keen interest in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as credible career options of pursuit rather than an option of last resort.
