African leaders have been urged to guard their sovereign autonomy, with warnings that failure to take action may depart the continent perpetually dependent regardless of its huge pure endowments.
This admonition was given yesterday on the strategic coverage workshop held on the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of General Muhammed Muritala, Nigeria’s former Head of State with the theme ‘Has Africa Come of Age? Muritala Muhammed’s Pan-African Vision 50 Years After’, collectively organised by the Muritala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) and The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA)
In his welcome remarks, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Dr. Eghosa Osaghae, burdened that it’s time Africans reclaimed their assertiveness on the worldwide stage, arguing that Africa is now not an appendage of world powers however an rising centre of affect in a multipolar world.
Commenting on General Muritala’s historic speech that Africa has come of age, which was delivered on January 11, 1976, at an OAU extraordinary summit in Addis Ababa, Osaghae famous that certainly Africans should deal with its challenges with native options, including that continued depending on overseas aids wouldn’t yield constructive final result.
He mentioned: “When General Muritala mentioned Africa had come of age, he was saying to the world, don’t assume Africa is an appendage anymore. Don’t assume Africa is what you prefer to put at this time as copycat. To say Africa has come of age is definitely to placed on the stamp the that means of strategic autonomy. And I simply say that Africa has develop into its personal voice, its personal grasp. Africa has now insisted that it should solely observe tracks and tractions which are decided by Africa for Africans.
“And so today, it resonates very well when we say African solutions to African problems.”
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the inspiration, Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, lauded her father for his dedication to Pan-Africanism, which in keeping with her, elevated the standing of Nigeria and Africans on the worldwide stage.
Reflecting on her father’s enduring affect on Nigeria’s governance and Africa, Muhammed-Oyebode emphasised that her father stood on the forefront of Africa’s liberation battle.
She described her father’s in style saying that “Africa has come of age,” as a rallying cry that continues to resonate in Africa’s pursuit of unity and independence in worldwide affairs.
Muhammed-Oyebode famous that the occasion was organised to function inspiration for younger Africans to embrace careers in diplomacy, governance, and worldwide growth in different to handle the challenges dealing with the continent.
In his keynote handle, Professor of Political Science and former Nigeria Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, described the late former Head of State as man of a number of elements. He mentioned that Murtala Muhammed was recognised for bringing out the pleasure in Nigeria, whose efforts to governance is unparalleled.
Akinyemi underscored the importance of the theme of the workshop and the urgency of trustworthy self-assessment as Africa navigates a quickly evolving international order.
“To say that Africa has come of age is not a declaration of perfection, but a recognition of responsibility,” Prof. Akinyemi said. “Coming of age demands that we critically examine our political maturity, economic resilience, institutional strength, and cultural confidence. It requires confronting unfinished business from independence, and asserting Africa’s clarity and confidence in global affairs.”
Speaking on the panel session, the Deputy Research on the NIIA, Dr. Joshua Bolarinwa, argued that Africa is but to completely realise the imaginative and prescient of self-reliance and brave management articulated by the late common almost 5 a long time in the past.
He famous that the assertion associated to the present management deficit at present affecting Africa, urging the leaders to take duty in defending Africa’s future with willingness and dedication.
In his submission, President of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), Prof. Hassan Saliu, additionally mentioned that Africa and Nigeria are but to fulfil the imaginative and prescient of General Murtala Muhammed particularly on problems with sovereignty defence, unity, liberation and freedom as contained in his Addis Ababa’s speech.
