Africans must find solutions, develop institutions – Gambari

Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has charged African leaders to define problems, find solutions and develop institutions.

Gambari delivered the Realnews 12th Anniversary Lecture and Investiture into the Realnews Hall of Fame, on Tuesday in Lagos.

The lecture was entitled: “Africa in World Shifting Geopolitics: Matters Arising on Demography, Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Resources”.

It had arrays of publishers and media professionals in attendance.

Gambari said that prescriptions from various blocs of world powers had not helped Africa to address its problems.

“It is about time we defined our own problems, defined the ways to resolve them.

“We are not rejecting partnership (from the West or East) but partnership in which we are real partners is what we need, not a master-servant relationship.

“The world is changing. The international community is evolving. The relationship between the global north and the global south is changing.

“We cannot disagree that these are times that require a lot of thinking,” he said.

Gambari said that acceleration of globalisation processes was accompanied by some discontent, including a growing crisis of poverty and inequality that had sustained calls for global governance, development and security reforms and produced some anti globalisation sentiments.

Emphasising the existence of globalisation of discontent, resistance, declining of power and ascension of power, Gambari said it was up to Africa to decide how best to align.

The diplomat advocated multipolarity and multilateralism that would allow multiple centres of powers and interests.

Gambari called for an end to the war in Gaza, Ukraine, Lebanon and some other countries.

He said that Africa must be given its rightful place at the United Nations.

“Africa is the only continent with no permanency in the UN Security Council,” he said.

On competition for African resources and demography, Gambari said that African should re-adjust its politics to take advantage of its demography while empowering women and giving them due share.

“With over a billion people, and with an overwhelmingly youthful population, the African continent is destined for a significant role in the demographics of the world.

“I believe that we should take advantage of the African demographic dividend in a new season of global geopolitics.

“This means that the countries of the continent must build national and regional strategies to leverage the energy, the innovative acumen and the futuristic vision of the young people.

“This is important in order to ensure that a new world order takes place in which we are positioned to become rulemakers.”

Gambari called for strengthening of African institutions while the continent should continue to fight for reform of the United Nations and reform of international financial institutions.

“Let’s strengthen our own institutions. The African Union is there to be strengthened. We have the African Development Bank.

“Successful African institutions sometimes raise the tendency of outsiders wanting to take over. Let us strengthen ECOWAS.

“Let us strengthen African economic communities so that they become the pillars on which an eventual African economic community will be built, so as to make the reality of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”

On peace and security, the diplomat called on Africa to make reality, the African standby force which, he said, would help the continent to have brigades from each of the five regions so the continent would not have to wait for the UN to act.

“We must be ready to harness our abundant human and natural resources for our development in order to achieve the structural transformation that has eluded us for too long.

“It also means that we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while the rules of the new world order are being written,” he added.

Ms Beatrice Eyong, Chairman of the occasion and Country Representative of UN Women Nigeria, said that Africa could aspire to become prominent in the shifting geopolitics.

Eyong condemned gender-based violence and gender inequality.

According to her, no country can develop with a high level of gender inequality and gender-based violence.

Eyong said that Africa could rise but for obstacles such as ineffective democracy, wars, corruption, inadequate technology, gender-based violence and gender inequality.

She called for increased access to services in health, education and technology, among others, for women.

Dr Karim Ayanoui, the keynote speaker and Executive President of Policy Centre for the New South, Rabat, Morocco, decried fragmentation in every dimension including security.

Ayanoui said it had impacted value chain, economy, military spending, demography and technology.

He called on Africa to prepare for the future with sustainable fiscal and micro-economy policies.

According to him, huge investment in education can help Africa to deal with challenges.

Mr Shehu Tijjani, a technologist and innovator, called on Africa to invest heavily in education to harness the potential in information technology and Artificial Intelligence.

Tijjani said,” For Africa, the talents are there but basic infrastructure are not available.

“The continent has the potential and material and can play a critical role if we harness them.”

Mrs Hadiza Usman, a former Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority and Special Adviser on Policy Coordination to President Bola Tinubu, said that African population should be a global asset.

Earlier in her address of welcome, Maureen Chigbo, the Publisher/Editor of Realnews, who commended guest speakers and participants, said that the lecture remained a forum for transformational discussions.