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Ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma
Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Koroma, has said Africa possesses the natural resources capable of feeding the rest of the world.
Koroma said the continent has over 30 deposits of minerals, arable lands and other natural resources that could make it self-reliant.
However, Koroma stressed that these resources alone aren’t enough, urging the youth to become “meaningful citizens” of their respective countries and Africa as a whole.
He stated this at an event organised by the Rochas Foundation to mark the International Day of the Girl Child in Abuja on Friday.
Koroma said, “We have everything you can imagine in Africa. We talk about natural resources. We have over 30 per cent deposits of minerals and land. We can feed the rest of the world for the years to come. But we can only achieve that when you translate yourself into meaningful citizens, meaningful citizens of the countries you are coming from, and meaningful African citizens.
“The future of Africa depends on you, and that is why I am so encouraged by what I have seen. We all should commit ourselves to supporting you in this great journey of transforming yourselves, and by extension, transforming Africa.”
Speaking, the former governor of Imo State and founder of the Rochas Foundation, Rochas Okorocha, lamented that 70 per cent of the country’s out-of-school children are girls.
Okorocha attributed this to cultural factors that hinder girls’ access to education.
He said, “It’s on record that Nigeria has over 13 million out-of-school children, and out of these, 70 per cent are girl children.
“For some cultural reasons, these kids are not allowed to discover who they are. It’s the right of every child to go to school. Or, in other words, if the child has no right to go to school, then you have destroyed the future of such a child forever. So it’s a must-do and it’s not negotiable.”
To address this crisis, Okorocha called for free education and greater community volunteerism.
He expressed confidence in the kindness and generosity of Nigerians, encouraging the government to promote volunteer initiatives to support education
“Volunteerism is the way to go, and I think governments should initiate it. Nigerians are good people with soft hearts,” he added.
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