 |
| Chief Olusegun Obasanjo |
ABEOKUTA - Former Nigeria's President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has submitted that the growing and unmanaged populationin Africa continent was fuelling terrorism within the region, particularly the Boko-Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
Chief Obasanjo also stressed the need for effective management of population in Africa.
Obasanjo gave this submission on Thursday at the Africa Progress Group (APG) organized by international round table session, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, on Wednesday, said the call had became imperative in order to assure improved socio-economic development of the continent.
The former President explained that the Roundtable session, with the theme: “Making Africa Population An Asset Rather Than A Liability” said the discussions had become necessary in order to sensitise African governments and other stakeholders within and outside the region on the need for effective management of the population to assure improved socio-economic development of the continent.
Obasanjo gave this submission on Thursday at the Africa Progress Group (APG) organized by international round table session, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, on Wednesday, said the call had became imperative in order to assure improved socio-economic development of the continent.
The former President explained that the Roundtable session, with the theme: “Making Africa Population An Asset Rather Than A Liability” said the discussions had become necessary in order to sensitise African governments and other stakeholders within and outside the region on the need for effective management of the population to assure improved socio-economic development of the continent.
Obasanjo specifically observed that the growing and unmanaged population was fuelling terrorism within the region, particularly the Boko-Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
 |
| Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (middle) with Co-chairman and founder, Transparency International, Prof. Peter Eigen (Left) and the special guest, Jonathan Oppenheimer at International Round table in "Making Africa's Population an asset rather than liability" |
He recalled that 25 of 26 arrested members of the Boko-Haram interviewed by him said they joined the sect while they were in search of job with only one admitting that he joined for religious reasons.
In a communique signed the the APG Director, Prof. Peter Okebukola participants affirmed that "Africa’s population can be an asset not when we are able to feed the citizenry and provide good quality of life but when that population can make meaningful contribution to the entire socio-political economy society.
"To ensure that Africa’s population is an asset to development, after careful consideration of successful practices in managing populations across the world, participants recommended to African leaders as follows: Enthronement and promotion of competent, efficient and effective governance should be top priority for African countries as this is the lever for development and for turning the continent’s population into an asset; Based on the power of education in the successful management of populations, educational systems in African countries should be overhauled paying special attention to access to education (Education for all), education of women and girls, entrepreneurship and ensuring relevance of education delivered to the needs of the society. We need better harmonisation of Islamic education and Western education as successfully practised in a number of Islamic countries including Tunisia, Egypt and Indonesia among others.
In a communique signed the the APG Director, Prof. Peter Okebukola participants affirmed that "Africa’s population can be an asset not when we are able to feed the citizenry and provide good quality of life but when that population can make meaningful contribution to the entire socio-political economy society.
"To ensure that Africa’s population is an asset to development, after careful consideration of successful practices in managing populations across the world, participants recommended to African leaders as follows: Enthronement and promotion of competent, efficient and effective governance should be top priority for African countries as this is the lever for development and for turning the continent’s population into an asset; Based on the power of education in the successful management of populations, educational systems in African countries should be overhauled paying special attention to access to education (Education for all), education of women and girls, entrepreneurship and ensuring relevance of education delivered to the needs of the society. We need better harmonisation of Islamic education and Western education as successfully practised in a number of Islamic countries including Tunisia, Egypt and Indonesia among others.
No comments:
Post a Comment