African Youth Should Not Become Modern-day Slaves - Prof. Assie-Lumumba

Speakers at this year's African Youth and Governance Conference have urged youth on the continent to be proactive and start engaging in entrprenuership programmes, instead of complaining about problems found on their continent.

Professor N'Dri Therese Assie-Lumumba, a lecturer at Cornel University and a board member of Youth Bridge Foundation, organisers of the conference who said this at a round table discussion, urged African youth not to give themselves out as slaves in this modern day slavery.

She observed that, "even though slave trade has been abolished long ago, our attitude still shows that we are still in slavery because the youth do not take major decisions by themselves but are influenced by the western world".

"Until the youth of Africa start shunning away from everything western and begin advancing various development agenda by being the change agents, African will continue to mark time and lag behind in our development quest," She added.

The 11th edition of African Youth and Governance Conference has brought together over 80 delegates from 44 countries in Africa and the diaspora. Among the participants are MPs from Zambia and Kenya as well as a minister from Canada.

Issues on Governance, Environment, Gender among others are being discussed at the convergence.

His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria is scheduled to give the keynote address at the conference.