by Justice Lee Adoboe
Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio on Wednesday declared that Africa’s sustainable future depended on the three priorities of the courage to choose, the discipline to deliver, and the responsibility to build what can endure.
Bio said in his keynote address during the ongoing Elevate Africa Conference, a gathering on leadership and governance in Africa, taking place in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, under the theme “Africa, Defining Her Future,” that when resources are limited, priorities matter.
“The first responsibility of leadership is the courage to choose and be intentional and purposeful. Every government faces competing demands, limited resources, high expectations at all times, and people’s needs are many. You cannot do everything at once. We must decide what matters most,” the Sierra Leonean president stressed during
According to him, education, women’s empowerment, and food security must be top priorities for Africa, as the continent cannot survive the changes in the global arena without the right type of education; he added that poverty must not determine the limits of a child’s future.
On women’s empowerment, he stressed, “It is hypocritical to talk about development when more than half of Africa is consigned to the kitchen, to cook and serve.”
In Sierra Leone, Bio said the government has set out a seven-step plan to expand women’s participation in leadership and national decision-making because it is his burning desire to make sure that women are part of leadership.
Food security must be pursued by investing in agriculture, supporting farmers, and creating opportunities for young people, adding that “education, women’s empowerment, and food security are connected by the single principle that ‘leadership means making choices that give people a better chance in life.'”
Regarding the discipline to deliver, Bio stated that the continent has made numerous declarations and pledges; however, what citizens truly want is to see these promises fulfilled, including the realization of the dream of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative, which has the potential to connect our markets, strengthen African businesses, and create jobs across the continent.
“Because this (AfCFTA) means nothing to the trader who spends a whole day trying to go across a border or the young entrepreneur who cannot reach customers in the nearest state.
Moreover, he said Africa possesses extraordinary natural wealth and human talent, “but so much of the value generated from these resources is created outside the continent. We must build industries that process our meat, transform our agricultural products, and create jobs for our people.”