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Tag: African leaders

  • Buhari challenges African leaders, says ‘We must learn to speak with one voice’

    President Muhammadu Buhari says African leaders must speak with one voice, independent of foreign influence to achieve economic integration, development, peace and security on the continent.

    Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.

    Mr. Buhari was speaking at a bilateral meeting with President Alpha Conde of Guinea on Friday night in Istanbul, Turkey.

    The presidential aide said that the two presidents, who met on the margins of the 9th D8 Summit in Istanbul, exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

    Mr. Buhari said leaders should learn from history to effectively tackle conflicts, violent extremism, and proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

    He assured his Guinean counterpart, who is also the current Chairman of AU that Nigeria would continue to strengthen its engagement with all AU member states to address current security challenges in restive areas such as South Sudan and Libya, and the political crisis in Togo.

    In his remarks, Mr. Conde praised Nigeria’s leadership on the continent, particularly Mr. Buhari’s great job on anti-corruption and his strong voice on African issues at the international stage.

    The Guinean leader stressed the need for Guinea and Nigeria to accelerate economic cooperation, particularly in the natural resources sector, where Guinea boasts of 25 per cent or more of the world’s known bauxite reserves.

     

  • African leaders responsible for impoverishing, underdevelopment of continent – Obasanjo

    Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said African leaders are to be blamed for the high rate of poverty and underdevelopment in the continent.

    The ex-Nigerian leader said the ill-conceived and poorly implemented policies in Africa are the cause of poverty.

    He says the harsh economic realities on the continent have led to countless Africans dying while trying to flee their poverty-stricken countries in search of a better life.

    Obasanjo said this in a keynote address at the 2017 African Leadership Forum in Boksburg on the East Rand, South Africa, where former heads of state discussed pertinent issues facing the continent.

    He says human trafficking and migrant flows are now on the rise and that African countries should deal decisively with corruption to halt this.

    Former African leaders gathered in Boksburg discussed ways to achieve sustainable peace and security on the continent.

    Earlier former South African President Thabo Mbeki said too many people were killed daily in Africa over political issues.

    His foundation hosted the event with Tanzania’s former President Benjamin Mkapa for the first time in South Africa.

    Mbeki said African leaders need to do better.

    “It’s an important topic, obviously, the issue of peace and security on our continent because of the challenges that we continue to face.”

    Mbeki urged African leaders to remain alert as violence could erupt, adding that African leaders need to ensure the peace and stability of people.

  • Elumelu, African leaders commend AFC on World Class Governance Standards

    Elumelu, African leaders commend AFC on World Class Governance Standards

    Chairman, United Bank for Africa Plc, Tony O. Elumelu, has hailed the African Finance Corporation on its various initiatives and contributions targeted towards supporting African economies in the last few years noting that these initiatives have gone a long way in fostering growth and diversity on the continent.

    Elumelu , who gave this commendation during the AFC’s 10th Anniversary celebrations of the corporation in Abuja, Nigeria this week, was also full of praises for the corporate governance culture exhibited and practiced by the AFC, adding that its impact has been felt not only in Africa, but by the world over.

    The UBA Group chairman who was honoured and recognised at the event as a long serving board member of the AFC, said, “As a pioneer chairman of Risk and governance at the AFC, I interacted closely with management and the AFC has world class leadership and management. We have seen great seeds planted. This is indeed an African institution domiciled in Nigeria with world class standards’ he said as he referred to the Triple A rating of the AFC.

     

    Elumelu, African leaders commend AFC on World Class Governance Standards
    L-R: Former Governor Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Charles Soludo; Former Minister for Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; Chairman, UBA Group Tony O. Elumelu and Former commissioner of Finance in Lagos State, Ayo Gbeleyi at the gala in Abuja on Monday in celebration of Africa Finance Corporation’s 10th year Anniversary

     

    Having served on the board of AFC for 9 years, he shared his vision and hopes for the corporation in the next 10 years as he sat on a panel titled The foundation for growth, alongside the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Former Central Bank governor of Nigeria, Professor Chuwuma Soludo. ‘The commodity crisis has demonstrated that we need to attract more capital to Africa and I would like to see the AFC mobilizing much needed capital to the continent as we engage with our political leaders to create the enabling environment for growth and development’ Elumelu said.

    Acting Nigerian President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who had earlier opened the AFC’s summit on Infrastructure revolution, commended Obasanjo, for his clear vision in conceiving the idea of an African Development Finance Institution that would be birthed on the continent; “the idea of developing a wholly African Finance Institution that was the will of African leaders, nations and institutions, seemed far – fetched a decade ago’ he said. He expressed pride that Africa was on the right path. ‘This coming decade is Africa’s time’ he stated, saying that the world would be seeing real development on the continent in the next few years.

    Other African leaders who were in attendance at the summit include the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Ghana’s Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta; Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Uganda’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Hon Kasija Matia; Gambian Minister of Trade, Isatou Touray; Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili and many others.

     

  • Buhari calls on African leaders to ensure peace, political stability

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday challenged African leaders to ensure socio-political stability in their respective countries to achieve peace and speedy regional and sub-regional integration in the continent.

    The President gave the challenge at a joint press briefing with the visiting Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, after a closed door meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He noted that, even though the situation in the ECOWAS sub-region was relatively stable, there was the need to continue to persuade the leaders to pay more attention to security and development.

    “The situation in our sub-region is relatively stable but there is the need for us to continue to persuade our colleagues to show appreciation on the efforts the sub-region is doing to make sure that we pay more attention to security and development.

    “I have appreciated very much your efforts and I also congratulate you on your successes.

    ”I believe you may even go outside the region, to African Union, so that before the AU meeting we try and persuade the leadership of those countries in our sub-region to show more patience and accommodation with politics of their countries.”

    President Buhari stated that the forthcoming 3rd Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security would discuss some political developments in two countries of the sub-region.

    While commending the Liberian leader for handling the affairs of the ECOWAS diligently, Buhari lauded Sirleaf’s efforts in stabilising her country.

    “I have to very sincerely congratulate you with the way you have stabilised your country and with the small contributions Nigeria was able to make throughout those difficult times that you went through.

    “And also thank you very much on the way you are handling ECOWAS responsibility.

    “We have one or two countries that I believe we will discuss when we go to Senegal today, tomorrow and maybe on Wednesday, in terms of peace and security.’’

    In her remarks, the Liberian leader who is also the Chairperson of the Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS nations, said she was in Nigeria to be updated on the focus and challenges of the work of the ECOWAS Commission

    According to her, the visit is also meant to enable her meet with the entities of ECOWAS, the Commission, the Parliament and the Courts in preparation for the forthcoming Summit of the Authority of the ECOWAS, slated for Abuja on Dec. 17.

    She stressed the need for leaders in the sub-region to continue to maintain peace and stability to achieve regional integration and economic prosperity.

    “I’m glad once again to be back in Abuja. I’m using the opportunity of this visit to be updated on the focus and challenges of the work of the ECOWAS Commission, to meet with the entities of ECOWAS, the Commission, the Parliament and the Courts in preparation for the reports I will present at the Summit of the Authority, which will be held here in Abuja, on Dec. 17.

    “But, I’m so grateful that while here, I reached out to the President and asked him for the opportunity to call on him to be able to brief him on some of the findings I have had in my two days of consultation with the commission.

    “I also exchanged with him some of the developments in our sub-region, political development; economic development, and to get his wise counsel on how we can ensure that we monitor the situation in all the West African countries so as to maintain peace and stability in all of our countries.’’

    The Liberian President arrived Abuja on Sunday on a two-day official visit to Nigeria, visited the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja on the same day

    The ECOWAS chairperson also held closed door meetings with the President of the commission, Mr Marcel de Souza, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and senior officials of the commission