Vice President of Liberia, Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, has implored Africans, all over the world, to develop positive mindset towards tackling problems militating against the development of the continent.
Howard-Taylor, who delivered the 6th and 7th convocation lecture of Elizade University, Ilara Mokin in Ondo State, lamented that most Africans belittle their rich heritage and promote western culture to their own detriment.
In her lecture titled: “Africa Renaissance: Key for New Global Leadership Paradigm,” she said Africans must continue to be gatekeepers to nations in the continent.
According to her, Africans have been brainwashed to believe that God, as a magician, could do all things for them without working hard. She said they believed more in religion rather than spirituality.
The guest lecturer said it was a serious psychological problem for Africans to have lost knowledge of whom they were, blaming its slow growth to neo-colonialism.
Howard-Taylor challenged African parents to be intentional and consistent in changing the mindset of the young people by teaching them morals and values embedded in African traditions.
“We must recognise that we are the greatest that God has created. I know my lineage and history,” she said. The Liberian Vice President charged African political leaders to embark on projects and programmes that would benefit communities as opposed to doing things for individuals.
She instituted N1m prize for the best female student in honour of the Alara of Ilara-Mokin, Oba Abiodun Aderemi Adefehinti, which will be sponsored by the Vice President’s foundation.
Chairman of the occasion and former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, said the continent must liberate itself from mental slavery. He said: “There must be a strong wave of mental dignity and confidence, stressing that the African state must drive development via an aggressive and improved productive capacity.
Mimiko said it should be a development anchored on human skills, including an aggressive industrial policy aligned with appropriate financial framework. He further stated that the continent must demonstrably address the issues of gender inequity and uncontrolled procreation with all fervency and a lot of commitment.
He said: “Africa must tackle gender inequity and uncontrolled procreative proclivity. It must re-imagine itself in international institutions within the present global order, which is already structured to limit our competitiveness.”
The former governor eulogised the founder and visitor of Elizade University, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, for his passion to develop his community of Ilara-Mokin, Nigeria and contribution to the body of knowledge as evident in the university’s standard.
