Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the former Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), has issued a compelling call to African leaders, urging them to shed the “supplicant mentality” that relies on foreign aid to resolve the continent’s challenges.
Fayemi emphasized the imperative for African leaders to discard the current development aid paradigm and, instead, embrace a bold stance in defending their rights and interests on the global stage, a pursuit that has eluded the continent for far too long.
He found it “demeaning” that African leaders are persistently summoned to the capitals of competing foreign powers, essentially begging for aid and support.
These remarks were delivered during his keynote address at the annual lecture of the Society for International Relations Awareness (SIRA), which bore the theme “Africa in the Turbulence of a World in Search of Direction.”
At the lecture, Fayemi, now a Visiting Professor at the School of Global Affairs, Kings College, London, passionately advocated for strong visionary leadership as the key to Africa’s rightful place in the tumultuous global order of our times.
He emphasized the pressing need for visionary leadership to chart a forward-looking course, fostering a strategic, coordinated, coherent, and unified approach among African nations to navigate the turbulence within the international system, as the world undergoes transformative changes.
Fayemi further stressed that African leaders must safeguard their populations from becoming “casualties and cannon fodder” as global interests vie for advantage.
He firmly asserted that the hard-won sovereignty of African countries must remain unassailable.
In conclusion, he underscored that Africa must be prepared to engage with the ongoing transition towards a multi-polar world order, which offers both challenges and opportunities.
To fulfill its potential, Africa must mobilize its leadership resources and strategic plans to play a significant role in the evolving global dynamics.
The event drew the participation of a diverse assembly, including prominent government leaders, current and former diplomats, ambassadors, and foreign government representatives.
Signed,
Mallam Ahmad Sajoh
Head, Fayemi Media Office, Abuja
October 18, 2023
