Engr. Noah Dallaji, the founder of Africa Children Talent Discovery Foundation (ACTDF), has called for a renewal of values and attitudinal change in African leadership towards creating a new Africa that works for all.
Dallaji mentioned this in Accra, Ghana, at the weekend while speaking at this year’s global summit of the Africa Development Forum (ADF) with the theme: ‘The Africa We Want’.
Distinguished personalities present at the event included the Vice President of Liberia, Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, who was representing Nigeria’s former president (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan), H.E. Justina Mutale, leadership development expert and former UN Ambassador to Eretria, Dr. Linus Okorie (ADF Chairperson), and Dr. Ibrahim Dauda (an accomplished business leader).
Dallaji campaigned for good governance and vibrant leadership after reviewing and lamenting that leadership in the continent still had much to do to change the situation towards a more dedicated and altruistic leadership that serves the greatest good for the greatest number of its population.
He mentioned that his attendance at the summit was motivated by his passion for the greater good of the continent where youths have a major role to play to effect the necessary change and development in the continent.
Dallaji further mentioned that the change in Africa that we want is our collective responsibility which must first begin individually before it gets to the country level and then the continent.
He stated that Africa deserves the best because it has the best of all things from the abundant resources, weather to healthy food, intellectual capacity, and creativity, spanning the music, arts, and entertainment and he wondered why government and governance have been too lethargic to the detriment of the people.
He said this was because the people failed in their duties to elect the right leaders: who then get into the office to become masters and then perceive the people that elected them as servants.
In his words “So that’s the responsibility we have. We must choose our leaders wisely. We have to decide the kind of leaders we want. Most times, some of these leaders have no business being in government because they lack the basic requirements. Yet they get into office because we citizens helped them to attain political power by influencing your ballot.
“Then, you have no cause to complain about any action they may take while in power because you aided and abetted a skewed process. Still, we have to recognize that this is a democracy which is a people’s government and not a leaders’ government. We surely need a new Africa where there’s political stability, deepened democracy, equity and justice, and economic prosperity.
“But, all this will only materialize when we could attain a position of self-reinvention, vision, which I usually refer to as a ministry because of intrinsic values, inclusive government, leaders with capacity and competence and altruistic enough to be servant leaders.”
Dallaji also mentioned that Africans must now tell their own stories more favourably rather than just accept the narrative painted by western media which he called anti-Africa.
Others present at the event include: Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, ADF Director for West Africa Region, Dr. David Egwu, Ace comedian, Ayo Makun and CEO, Metro Television, Ghana, Kayode Akintemi, who though gave different perspectives, agreed with Dallaji’s position on the need for leadership renewal in order to create a new Africa we deserve.
Howard-Taylor, On her part, however, was gender-specific as she made a case for women in the conversation for a new Africa, she stated that the discussion really should be how each of us can combine our resources, our innovations, and our energies to build the Africa we deserve.
“I think the Africa we deserve takes us to a higher plane—women who hold up half of the sky must be part of the process. We bring a whole different aspect to governance.
“We’re interested in doing things to the end, we’re interested in collaborating so that women from all spectrum in Africa can work together to build the Africa we want for our children and posterity. The time is now. We must now begin to work in implementing the key aspects we want in governance so that the Africa we want can be created”.
Dr. David Egwu, ADF Director, also emphasized in an interview, the importance of the summit theme, saying it was high time we changed the social profile of Africa by challenging our leaders to be accountable.
“We need vibrant leaders who are people-centric, not pocket-centric, meaning that we have to ensure our leaders are men and women who are committed to excellence, probity, and selfless leadership and that’s what we need to transform the African continent”, he said.
