Former Ekiti State Gov. urges African leaders to manage continent’s challenges without foreign aid
Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, has urged African leaders to break free from the “supplicant mentality” of relying on foreign aid to address the continent’s challenges.
Speaking at the annual lecture of the Society for International Relations Awareness, Fayemi stressed the need for African leaders to abandon the development aid model and take a more assertive stance in global affairs, defending the continent’s rights and interests.
Fayemi, who now serves as a Visiting Professor at the School of Global Affairs, Kings College, London, emphasized the importance of visionary leadership in guiding Africa through the turbulence of the current global order.
He stated, “This is where visionary leadership must come in to help, in a forward-looking way, to develop a strategic, coordinated, coherent, and shared African approach to managing the turbulence in the international system.”
He further highlighted the necessity of safeguarding African sovereignty and ensuring that Africans are not relegated to the status of “casualties and cannon fodder” amid global power competitions.
Fayemi underscored the urgency of developing strategic plans, policy packages, and leadership resources that are well-suited for the era of rapid and complex global changes.
Fayemi’s call for African self-reliance and proactive leadership in international affairs resonated with a diverse audience, including government leaders, diplomats, and representatives of foreign governments who attended the event.
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