Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders to stop begging for foreign aid and allow the continent to assume its rightful position in the world.

According to Mr Akufo-Addo at the ongoing three-day U.S.-African Leaders Summit, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and others have what it takes to make the continent great.

He said it was time African leaders stopped begging the developed world and concentrated on spending African money on the continent.

“Africans are more resilient outside the continent than inside. We must bear in mind that to the outside world, nothing like Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya: we are simply Africans. Our destiny as people depends on each other,” the Ghanaian president explained.

Mr Akufo-Addo urged African leaders to make the continent attractive to its people by providing quality education and skills that fuel the modern economy.

“We must work together to change Africa’s narrative, which is characterised by disease, hunger, poverty and illegal migration. No matter where you come from, as long as you are black, you are African. We must make Africa conducive for progress and prosperity,” the Ghanaian leader declared, insisting that the time to make change is now as the leaders of the African continent have run out of excuses.

“We have the manpower. We should have the political will. It is time to make Africa work. If we stop begging and spend Africa’s money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone. We will get the respect we deserve,” he added. “If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow.”

Meanwhile, the Niger Republic President Mohamed Bazoum, at a session on peace, security and governance, spoke on collaborating with Nigeria to combat the scourge of Boko Haram in West Africa.

“To fight against this cross-border phenomenon, Niger and its neighbouring countries, in particular Nigeria and Chad, set up a mixed force which makes it possible to combat these armed groups,” said Mr Bazoum.

He explained that “most of the young people who join terrorist groups come from pastoral backgrounds,” but the “scarcity of resources forces them to look for other means of subsistence, and the easiest remains the integration of armed groups.”

(NAN)