Stakeholders identify solution to Africa’s challenges

STAKEHOLDERS at the 4th Covenant - International Conference on African Development Issues (CICADI) 2018, organised by Covenant University, Ota have declared that for Africa to address her numerous challenges, there is an urgent need for qualitative, purpose-driven leaders.

The former president of Malawi, Joyce Banda in his keynote address posited that good leaders must give priority attention to the people.

“Leadership is about falling in love with the people you serve and the people falling in love with you. I truly believe in servant leadership. The grain of leadership in men or women alike will need nurturing to come to full maturity. For many women, their grain of leadership has withered away too early, it is a tragedy that many women have not realised their full leadership potentials.

“It is also important to realise that we can only progress in this campaign if men and women work together. These issues are not about women compet- ing with men but finding synergy that both gender complement each other.

The Chancellor, Dr David Oyedepo said the region needs a new generation of conscience-driven leaders.

‘The challenge before us now is to become the new generation of leaders with education, capacity, civility, humanity and good conscience. That is the kind of leaders Africa urgently requires. This way, corruption will die a natural death. We will all see leadership as a remarkable and rare privilege to take the lead by showing good examples. This way, we will find political power a means to good ends for the people, and not a ladder for cruelty, oppression and exploitation.

Speaking on “Driving Africa’s future: Revolutionary pathways towards a redefinition of leadership in Africa,” Oyedepo added that men and women of conscience and good morals are the essential ingredients for a renascent Africa. “Good education, good conscience and moral fortitude (and not age or ‘eldership’ and fortunes) should define leadership qualifications.”