Ahmed Satomi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, has urged African nations to chart a new path of self-reliance anchored on their vast human and natural resources.
Speaking at the gala night of the Network’s 8th Conference of the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees in Abuja, Satomi cautioned African nations to desist from relying on foreign powers in their desperate effort to rescue the continent.
The lawmaker warned that hydra-headed problems, such as terrorism, food insecurity, youth unemployment, and weak industrial capacity, will remain a major cause for worry until African leaders begin to look inwards for lasting solutions.
Satomi hinted that the time has come for Africa to speak in unison, confront its challenges boldly, and take full control of its development trajectory.
He expressed dismay that 90 per cent of goods consumed on the continent are imported from Europe, Asia, or other regions, a situation he described as a major setback for local industries on the continent
“We have to delete the notion, the thinking that we can’t do without the West’s influence. Africa is one of the best continents on the globe. There is no reason for anyone to be poor. We have everything it takes as a continent to stand on our peaks,” he said
Commenting on Africa’s rising population and resource wealth, the lawmaker said, “The GDP of Africa is expected to increase to about 4.1, which is higher than the predicted 3.2 by the world. Sub-Saharan African growth is projected to reach up to 3.5% in 2025 and further appreciate up to 4.3% in 2027.””It will interest you to know the projected increase of about 740 million people within the age of population by 2050. Then, 12 million youths enter the labour market every year. But the challenge is that only 3 million new formal jobs are created annually.
Satomi tasked African leaders to rise to the occasion and stage a unified war against insecurity, since peace and progress go hand in hand.
“As the new president of this network, one of the cardinal things I want to do first with you together is the sharing of information and making communication so easy so that we will be discussing issues affecting one another to provide solutions to our continent,” he said.
