The Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI) joined the rest of the country in celebration of the African Freedom Day to us this day is a time of reflection for African leaders on where we have come from and what are the achievements that we have been able to achieve so far.

African freedom day a time for reflection for African leaders

Most African countries have celebrated over 50 years of independence and if we take a deep reflection of what has been able to be achieved so far, we discover that political independence was achieved but there has been a challenge of translating the economic achievements of the continent so far. CLRI is aware that from each of the seven continents of the world, Africa has a diverse natural resource and has richest concentration of natural resources.

Despite this great opportunity that lies within African Continent unfortunately most Africa countries have not translated this opportunity to built strong economics and uplift the lives of the poor.  The has been a lot of progress so far in many Africa countries but we are of the view that a lot more should have been done differently and we would have been a different level by now. There is need to develop an environment that would ensure that the natural resources of the continent translate into the economic virtues for the people of Africa and also build strong trade linkages around the World.

The challenge of Africa going forward is to imagine, what kind of an Africa do we envisage to build in the next 50 years from now, the only way Africa can change is not doing things in the usual way, there has to be an unusual way of doing things and sound leaderships is at the centre of the liberating the lost economic and political virtues of the continent. Africa has had some great leaders in some regions but there has been a mismatch in bringing a balanced organised group of support leaders that can interpret the vision of top leader and in the long ran the vision has been lost and earth moving changes have failed to actually take place.

Our view is therefore that Africa needs to actually work on its leadership according to rank and file in sorting out it’s challenges and not just focus on the top leader as this has proved that you can have good leader at the top but if systems are responding everything fails.  A strong and competent workforce is what is needed apart from strong leaders who bring political will to turn around the political and economic doldrums of many African countries.

Mundia Paul Hakoola

Executive Director