The West Africa Youth Council (WAYC) says that the African emancipation in economy and policies relied solely on Nigeria as a major player in the continent.
The President of WAYC, Amb. Matthew Ashanti, stated this during the organisation’s investiture of the Nelson Mandela Leadership Award of Excellence on Sunday in Akure.
“Nigeria is a major factor and a major player in Africa because of its largest population in the continent.
“ If there is going to be a major emancipation in Africa, whether in policy or economy, Nigeria will be a pusher and mover. That is why the focus of African emancipation is really heaped on Nigeria,” he stated.
Ashanti asked youths in the continent to rise up to responsibilities and increase their capacity and expand their wings through education.
“Youths should stand up and build capacity.
“Nobody will put anything in your hand if you are not worth it.
“If you are given responsibility, it’s because they have found you worthy of that responsibility. Pick up little responsibility, that is my advice to the youths. Don’t start from the top. That is where people will have confidence in you.
“ Engage people in your community and engage in local politics because we can’t take politics away from good governance.
“So, if we must be part of policy movers and shakers in the world, we must be inside to have that opportunity.
“As soon you are building capacity of policy and governance on one hand, you must be part of what is happening in your community by joining policy making because charity begins at home,” he stated.
The WAYC decried many leaders in the continent for not having in-depth mindset in policy making that could affect the common man on the street.
“There are too many economic theories and policies that are not traversing into the lives of people in Africa at large.
“That is why you see military taking over in some countries in the continent because of the failure of people at the helms of affairs.
“Governance is all about people; meeting the needs of people in the society,” he said.
Ashanti described Amb. Akintayo Akintunde, who received the Nelson Mandela Leadership Award of Excellence from the organisation, as a man of success that had excelled to better the lives of people especially in his community in his own capacity.
“We celebrate the giant works that he is doing for people of Africa especially in his community.
“A life of man is not worthy if he has not impacted his community. This awardee has helped people over the time and he needs to be recognised and celebrated,” he said
Also speaking, the awardee appreciated the organisation for recognising him and his good deeds in the society.
He said that the award would spur him to do more and pass a message to others to impact their respective societies within their abilities.
He explained that his foundation, established in 2015, had helped many youths, widows, the needy in his community, Ile Oluji and provision of potable water through digging of boreholes .
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