African youth called to break mediocrity and champion Pan-Africanism

The Africans Rising Movement Coordinator, Hardi Yakubu, has urged tertiary students to take up the responsibility of leading the Pan-Africanism and the borderless Africa agenda.

According to him, contemporary educational standards train students to become leaders who demand better outcomes in society and fight for the right causes, rather than focusing solely on employment.

Speaking at The Borderless Africa Campus Connect – University of Ghana Edition on March 14, 2026, under the theme “Embracing the Africa We Want,” the coordinator criticised university authorities for lowering standards when it comes to enforcing regulations.

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“That place is a cubicle. I cannot—how can it be a room? We’re made to accept that. So, part of the mediocrity of African leadership comes from the universities. What we are made to accept is mediocre.

"Lowest standard of living. University students are supposed to have the biggest imagination. But how can you imagine for your society if you yourself are accepting the lowest of the lowest standard of living in order to study and gain a university education? That is why I’m saying that you must remove your minds from the shackles.

“And therefore, if you are in the university, there is a responsibility on you. The state is spending money on you, and your parents have hope in you. That hope should not be restricted to your hometown.

"That hope is the hope of all of Africa. So you must prepare yourselves to take charge and take responsibility for the continent. We have to begin to say enough of the complaining. Complaining will never get us anywhere. We have every right to demand reparations for what people did to us in the past and are still doing,” Hardi Yakubu said.

Organized by Africans Rising in partnership with the Rocky Dawuni Foundation, this edition of the Campus Connect series brought together student leaders, Pan-African advocates, and cultural icons for a meaningful conversation.

The event featured guests including Rocky Dawuni, Award-Winning Artiste, Pan-Africanist & Cultural Ambassador; Hardi Yakubu, Movement Coordinator of Africans Rising; and Moses D Kouyo, SRC President of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC).

The event provided a platform for dialogue on Pan-African identity, youth leadership, cultural diplomacy, and the role of young people in shaping the Africa envisioned in Agenda 2063.

SB/AM

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