Under the theme “The hope for Africa”, Dela Adadevoh, PhD from Orlando, Florida in USA, appreciates the advancement that has been achieved by Africa. However, he calls upon all Africans to wake up and build a new Africa.Dela Adadevoh, President of International Leadership Foundation (ILF), states that this century is for Africa.-Yves Didier Irakoze
Dela Adadevoh, President of ILF: … Africans must know that development depends on them.©Iwacu
“Africa is rising and emerging. It is the best region in the world. Africa improves its understanding in democracy and economic growth. Africa is also a donor to the world (resources, population…),” points out Adadevoh. He goes on saying that Africa has something to be proud of like natural resources. Africans have also to be proud of their identity; they love and greet each other and each African has his/her own personality and he/she is respected for that. “I get the opportunity to travel a lot in various countries but when I come to Africa, I really find people of identity. In Europe, America or elsewhere, people are named following their color or what they do; but in Africa, everyone has their value whether they are poor or rich, young or old. Africans are warm people,” declares Adadevoh. He stresses that Africans have still that humanitarian value because if we look at what happens in developed countries, we notice that there are many people who commit suicide, something which is very rare in Africa. He also adds that Africa is also praised by its spectacular resources. He gives an example of how Botswana is using its resources like diamonds for development and he appreciates the way African Diasporas are investing much in the continent for its progress.
There are also problems
Though Africa has many things to be proud of, it still faces some obstacles. Dela Adadevoh states that the underlined problem for Africa is the African mind that is not choosing to change. African mind is still stable and not dynamic. Africans don’t take seriously the concept of time and don’t respect it either. “In Africa we still face the problem of leadership. Our leaders are not sufficiently conscious of the responsibility they have towards their countries and populations. And the management of public wealth somehow leaves to desire i.e. the problem of corruption, resources mismanagement, a bad concept of development, but those problems can find solutions,” highlights Adadevoh. According to him, Africans must know that development depends on them. They have to sit together to think about it and be conscious of that. Africans need good leaders, brilliant leaders of integrity and transformation. They need to build a critical mass of people that can lead to African development even in Burundi. “The African mind has to change. If the African mind does not change, we can’t have a new Africa,” concludes Adadevoh.
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