Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), has called on African leaders to abandon the “supplicant mentality” and cease depending on foreign aid to address the continent’s challenges.
Speaking at the annual lecture of the Society for International Relations Awareness (SIRA), Fayemi emphasized the need for African leaders to discard the development aid framework and “embrace the audacity in defending our rights and interests in global affairs.”
Fayemi criticized the practice of African leaders being summoned to foreign capitals to seek aid and support, describing it as “demeaning.” He urged leaders to take a proactive approach and ensure that Africans are not made “casualties and cannon fodder” in the competition among various global interests.
The former Ekiti governor, now a Visiting Professor at the School of Global Affairs, Kings College, London, stressed the importance of visionary leadership for Africa to find its place in the turbulence of the current global order.
In his lecture themed “Africa in the Turbulence of a World in Search of Direction,’’ Fayemi highlighted the necessity for strong, forward-looking leadership to develop a strategic, coordinated, coherent, and shared African approach in managing international system turbulence.
He asserted, “To rise to the challenge of the times, Africa must organize itself to develop and deploy the necessary strategic plans, policy packages, and leadership resources that are fit for the era of rapid and complex change.”
Fayemi pointed out that the world is undergoing a transition to a multi-polar order, presenting both challenges and opportunities. He urged African leaders to navigate this new landscape, emphasizing the urgent necessity of addressing policy and leadership advancement to ensure Africa plays a rightful role in the evolving global order.
The event, attended by a diverse range of stakeholders, including government leaders, diplomats, ambassadors, and representatives of foreign governments, provided a platform for critical discussions on Africa’s role in the changing global dynamics.
