Experts have maintained that effective leadership – making optimal decisions – and collaboration remain key to Africa’s growth.
While emphasising the need for a paradigm-shift on the continent, they made a strong case that ensuring effective leadership at every level and sector remain crucial in realising the African dream of developing, transforming and boosting economic growth. They therefore charged Africans to collaborate and partner, leveraging each other’s strength to spur growth and development – stressing that “the solutions to African problems are already in Africa”.
Among the experts is the Chief Executive Officer of BCA Leadership, Dr. Modupe Taylor-Pearce, who emphasied that the moment for African leaders to unify and fight for the greater welfare of the African continent is now.
“If Africa is going to be great, we must collaborate. That means we must find it in our hearts to reach out to people who are not like us and leverage each other’s strengths.
“For far too long, Africans have waited for someone else to come and fix our continent. We have waited for the British, the French, the Germans, the Americans or the Canadians, and lately for the Chinese. None of these groups are ever going to love our continent the way that we love our continent. African problems will be solved by African leaders collaborating with each other to devise solutions; the solutions to African problems are already in Africa,” he said.
Dr. Modupe and others including Dr. Yaw Perbi, a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative, and Professor Emeritus Adei, a scholar and economist, made these remarks at the ‘Made in Africa Conference’ 5th edition launch – set to come off from June 14-15, 2023 in Accra. It will be held on the theme ‘Making Africa work for Africans: Collaborations and partnerships’.
For Dr. Perbi, the continent has to reassess its leadership practices since they are crucial and necessary for Africa’s progress.
He added that not until mindsets and narratives change, the quality of those decisions made today will determine the future of communities, companies, countries and the continent at large.
“Everything rises and falls on leadership. Leadership is cause and everything else is effect. We have to come together because if one country works and the other does not, it will not matter; it has to be Ubuntu. We need togetherness to make it work,” he stressed.
Professor Emeritus Adei also added that the way forward for Africa is having transformational leaders. “There is another side of leadership that is not celebrated in Africa, and that is business leadership. It is also important to celebrate and encourage business leadership. Let us also encourage continuous learning for leaders.”
Accountability
Chief Executive Officer of Crescendo Consult, Doris Ahiati, meanwhile observed that another key factor in the quest to ‘make Africa work for Africans’ is sectors and individuals being accountable while holding others accountable.
She said it takes accountable leadership for a self-sufficient continent, adding that accountability is a crucial component lacking in the transformation and effective use of the continent’s resources. Ms. Ahiati also urged the citizenry to contribute their uniqueness and diversity toward realisation of the African dream.
Trust
With the resources that Africa possesses, the power to unleash the Africa heritage, according to Lawyer and Banker Samuel Ayim, requires countries on the continent to trust each other and build a united force. He is therefore confident that one African country’s problem has a solution in another, hence the need to partner.
The conference
The conference is an annual inaugural gathering of African company owners and chief executive officers, managing directors, board executives and public sector leaders. The two-day hybrid in-person and virtual conference aims to inspire and support leadership development among African leaders, promote intra-Africa trade and collaboration, and boost productivity and production of goods and services in Africa. This year’s MLC will be hosted in Ghana by Catherine Engmann, a leading chartered governance professional and certified coach, and the aforementioned speakers.
