Leadership Deficit, A Challenge For Africa – Obi

By Georgina Humphrey

Former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has attributed non leadership recruitment process as the biggest challenge facing Africa.

Obi stated this at the opening of the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit in London.

Speaking on ‘Harnessing the African Opportunity’ he explained that this has limited the continent from harnessing greater opportunities.

“Of all the factors required to properly Harness the African Opportunities, the most important requiring all the support from strategic partners such as Commonwealth is the Political Leadership Recruitment and Sustenance Process” he stated.

The LP flag bearer said that Africa’s most important deficit remains a deficit of leadership.

“The effective and sustainable harnessing of the opportunities in Africa through an agenda/framework rooted in the African consensus will require the enthronement of accountable and responsible leadership across Africa” Obi noted.

He explained that this will be the most effective way through which the internal coherence and external connectedness can be properly harnessed for sustainable and inclusive growth and development of Africa.

According to him there are few low-hanging fruits that the African Consensus should pursue in collaboration with the Commonwealth.

“These include the creation of a special fund for the development of infrastructure and African SMEs, Special incentives to promote the export of products and services from Africa to other Commonwealth countries and the world, Intentional but aggressive knowledge and skill development exchange between Africa and the Commonwealth, Crafting of an African Development Agenda/Framework that is African-oriented and globally very attractive”.

Obi noted that even with the immense potential and opportunities in Africa, many challenges remain and they are related to widespread leadership failures, limited access to funding, inadequate infrastructure, rural-urban migration, limited women and youth empowerment and regulatory barriers are pervasive.

“Africa is home to many people living in extreme poverty, and there are significant deprivations and disparities in income. While these challenges question the sustainability of the progress being made, there is a growing belief that Africa can be on the cusp of a major transformation with the opportunities that abound if the right reforms are pursued” Obi added.

According to Obi, “there is no doubt as to the immense opportunities across Africa, the challenge is on the best framework to harness the opportunities for sustainable and inclusive growth and development of Africa even as he recognized Africa’s potential in emerging technologies, Entertainment, and Agriculture.

Obi stated that despite the challenge of leadership, Africa remains a continent of incredible richness, not just in terms of its natural resources but also her human capital.

He charged the Commonwealth with its long years of experience in political leadership in Africa to partner to support Africa to instill Accountable and responsible political leadership which has remained the most critical requirement to harness the immense opportunities in Africa for the benefit of Africa, the Commonwealth, and the global economy.

Edited By Grace Namiji