African economies not transforming, leaders must dialogue to profess solutions selflessly

Dr K.Y. Amoako, Founder and President, African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), says African leaders need to dialogue with their citizens, understand the issues and collectively profess solutions selflessly. 

He said with all the potentials, resources and structures Africa has had, its economies had still not transformed over the years. 

Dr Amoako was speaking at the Made in Africa Leadership Conference, a Pan-African Leadership Enchantment Conference for Africa Leaders, dubbed: “Making Africa work for Africans: Collaborations and Partnerships.”

The Conference was organised by BCA Leadership, Africa’s largest network of executive leadership. 

It gathered transformational leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to spark new ideas, forge new partnerships and catalyze social and economic change. 

“Despite all the progress made in Africa, poverty reduction, attainment of SDGs is still a mirage. As a leader, you need to dialogue and understand the people, all actors and selflessly profess solutions collectively,” he said. 

Thr Founder told Ghana News Agency that, Ghana, for instance, prided itself in the mantra as the “Beacon of Hope” for the African continent but there was much left to be desired.

Dr Amoako said  the continent leaders had not learnt from the past to get the fundamentals right and build a prosperous nation as he made reference to his book “Know The Beginning Well.”

“That’s why my book is saying “Know The Beginning Well.” It is an African proverb which means if you know the beginning well, the end shall not trouble you,” he said. 

Madam Charity Chanda Lumpa, Board Chair, BCA Leadership, said what differentiated leadership from Africa and the western world was the selfless desire to make citizens better off. 

“In Africa, we have the resources but why are we poor? It’s time that we had leaders who take decisions that are focused solely on Africa and the betterment of the people,” she said. 

Madam Chanda Lumpa said as citizens there was the needed to ensure that the right leaders were elected and put in the right places, where they would be held accountable.

Dr Modupe Taylor Pearce Jnr. Chief Executive, BCA Leadership, said African countries needed to teach leadership and management as a course or subject during the puberty stages of children in the form of organised sports, projects and programmes. 

“It’s not ideal to wait until someone is already in a leadership position and making mistakes before you say let’s him how to do the work,” he said.