FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo said in Lagos on Thursday that African leaders should pay attention to the cries of development around them and act appropriately.
Obasanjo made the call at the launch of two books entitled, “Africa’s Third Liberation” and “Business in Africa – Corporate Insights’’ in Lagos.
The book, “Africa’s Third Liberation’’ was authored by Greg Mills and Jeffrey Herbst, while the later was written by Diana Games, all from South Africa.
Obasanjo said that African governments must give more attention to the development of the continent for the sake of posterity.
He said that the continent could not afford to be ruled by bad leaders anymore, adding that it should serve as part of the advancing world.
“The time is now here for Africa to take her rightful place in the global economic landscape.
“This is not building castles in the air but a realistic hope because there are today indicators that raise the expectation of Africa achieving an economic leap that will integrate it into the global economy in the next few decades,” he said.
He noted that six of the 10 fastest growing economies between 2000 and 2010 were Africans, adding that Angola, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Chad were among the countries.
“Improvements in communication have greatly advanced Africa’s position in the global trade. Africa has never had it so good in terms of better prices for commodities,” he added.
Obasanjo said that African governments must go beyond being exporters of raw materials to entrepreneurial activities to expand their revenue bases and create more jobs.
He, however, noted that there were still some limitations that rubbished Africa’s growth and development efforts as well as killed creativity.
Obasanjo said that such limitations also exposed the youths, especially to frustration and uncivilised modes of thinking.
“In case of Nigeria, there seems to be obnoxious solidarity among the middle class that allows the manipulation of available democratic institutions against the enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
“The poor enforcement, in turn makes the citizenry less enthusiastic to act positively on any calls by the government to sacrifice.
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The Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, Chief Christopher Kolade, said that dialogue was imperative for the continent to move forward.
He said that Africa needed to be more productive and proactive to achieve third liberation.
Kolade said that Nigerians must be committed to the advancement of their country.
Mills urged African leaders to put in place policies that would strengthen businesses.
He said that Africa would be in its rightful position in the next 12 years if it effectively developed one quarter of its teeming youths in Sub-Sahara.
Games said that the presence of multinational companies in Africa showed that it was a rapidly growing economy.
She urged investors to follow due process while investing in Africa.