Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, said Africa is in the throes of the worst debt crisis in 80 years, stressing that the economic distress was accompanied by an alarming surge in insecurity.
He said, since the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 55 million more Africans had slipped into poverty, with 39 million falling into extreme poverty.
According to him, youth unemployment was staggering, with up to a quarter of young Africans neither in education, employment, nor training, stressing that, simultaneously, 20 of the 39 African countries eligible for concessional borrowing were at the high risk of, or already in debt distress.
He, however, noted that elections alone do not constitute democracy, but that, “True democracy delivers dignity – food on the table, education for children, safety in our streets, and hope for the future.”
Osinbajo, who spoke as keynote speaker at a colloquium to mark the 61st birthday of President Julius Maada Bio, addressed the theme: “From Vision to Impact: The People-Centered Leadership Model.”
According to him, African leaders must adopt people-centred governance, “a development paradigm that places the needs and voices of the vast majority – particularly those at the bottom of the pyramid – at the heart of policymaking.”
This, he said, “is a call to reimagine leadership – not as the power to rule, but as the duty to serve.
Across Africa, Osinbajo said, countries were striving for structural transformation while grappling with growing poverty, unemployment, and debt.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 55 million more Africans have slipped into poverty, with 39 million falling into extreme poverty. Youth unemployment is staggering, with up to a quarter of young Africans neither in education, employment, nor training.
Simultaneously, 20 of the 39 African countries eligible for concessional borrowing are at high risk of, or already in debt distress. Africa is in the throes of the worst debt crisis in 80 years. This economic distress is accompanied by an alarming surge in insecurity,” he said.
