Former President John Mahama has urged leadership to help the youth address challenges through a united, peaceful and prosperous continent.
He cautioned that without helping them to overcome their challenges, unity, peace and prosperity would continue to elude the continent which would affect the fortunes of the African youth.
“Bringing the youth of the continent together, as has been done, to share experiences and whatever best practices they bring along from their individual countries is a very good start,” former President Mahama stated.
He was speaking at the Africa Prospective Leaders’ Summit 2022 which brought together youth from 42 African countries, including Ghana where he shared his experiences with participants at the summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Former President Mahama expressed gratitude to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the government and people of Ethiopia for consideration, initiative and funding of the maiden edition.
According to him, he shared his thoughts on Pan Africanism and how they could address the challenges the continent and, especially African youth continued to face in their efforts to realise a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa.
The former president pointed out that a united, peaceful and prosperous continent would provide the youth with networking opportunities which the continent needed in the quest to enhance their capacity, knowledge and skills so as to utilise their untapped potential.
“It also provides them with a great networking opportunity, something the continent needs in the quest to enhance the capacity, knowledge and skills of our youth to utilise the continents untapped potential and the African should aim at a take-off towards rapid growth and development for Africa’s growth to be nearer.
“We are talking smart infrastructure, we are discussing use of smart technology on our farms, we are looking at how to build an effective and efficient digital economy that provides huge opportunities for entrepreneurship and businesses that serve the world from Africa with young people that have the right knowledge and skills set,” former President Mahama indicated.
He intimated that he was looking forward to all the countries on the African continent allowing for visa-free entry by fellow Africans or an easier visa-on-arrival processes which he started in Ghana in 2016, Rwanda followed suit, later, Kenya, and insisted it could be done by the rest of the countries on the continent for benefits of networking African youth which could be enhanced with reciprocal visits to each other.
