Vice President reiterates importance of Africans taking greater ownership of their development

Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang emphasized the significance of Africans assuming greater control over their development and narratives during the Africa Mindset Reset Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. She highlighted that Pan-Africanism was built on the belief that Africans could collaborate to shape their own destiny and that this conviction should remain central to their development efforts today.

Opoku-Agyemang called for a shift away from implementing solutions imposed upon them, towards building the necessary capacity, institutions, and expertise to tackle their own challenges. The forum, organized by the African School of Governance, facilitated open conversations about Africa's history and future direction, featuring notable participants such as President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Dessalegn Boshe, and former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

The Vice President urged the African School of Governance to invest in research that is rooted in Africa's realities and to develop solutions tailored to their development requirements. She stressed that education should prepare young Africans not only to participate in the future but also to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to actively mold it.

Discussions at the forum also centered on overcoming obstacles and bureaucratic inefficiencies that hinder progress and ensuring that policies and institutions enhance the lives of all Africans, especially those with fewer opportunities. Opoku-Agyemang urged the participants to constantly ask themselves what Africa should strive to be, the steps required to reach that goal, and what each of them is willing to contribute to realizing that future.