‘Blame unemployment on Africa’s leaders’

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Ademola Oluseyi Onafowokan, has expressed dissatisfaction with the high rate of unemployment in Africa.

Mr Onafowokan stated: “When your industry is booming and electricity is steady, you can create jobs. If you don’t take your resources abroad but add value to them locally you can create jobs. It’s not something that’s impossible. It’s something that we can do but because we don’t have the political will in Africa it’s not happening”.

Speaking to BUSINESS GUIDE after the press launch of the Dream Child Foundation Charity Concert Season 3 at the African Regent Hotel on Tuesday in Accra, he admonished African leaders to stop the export of their raw resources.

He said poverty on the continent has to be tackled to reduce the number of orphans which keep increasing on the continent.

“We have to fight poverty. The reason why we have a lot of orphans is because of poverty. If we can enable families to have minimum wages, they will live minimally and give their children primary education, at least”, Mr. Onafowokan stressed.

The envoy appealed to Governments to support critical initiatives that will help to develop their education sectors.

The Dream Child Foundation Charity Concert was started three and a half years ago by a group of visionary entrepreneurs, musicians and civil society leaders in Africa, who recognized the need to empower children through music.

The foundation is chaired by Olorogun Oskar Ibru of Nigeria while Reginald Gaddy Laryea of Media Majique is its president.

Other patrons are Teddy Osei of Osibisa, Hugh Masekela of South Africa, Kofi Amoakohene and Ben Brako.

Angelina Lazar, Ambassador of Dream Child Foundation, noted that her outfit was God’s Gift to Ghanaian children and Africa in general.

OrphanAid Africa is the foundation’s major beneficiary this year.

The concert is slated for March 22, 2014 to raise funds for the beneficiary.