Lumumba tasks African leaders on stable power supply

Prof. Patrick Lumumba, former Director, Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, on Friday, tasked Nigeria and other African countries to redouble efforts to provide adequate power for sustainable industrialisation on the continent.

Lumumba gave the advice while delivering the 11th Convocation Lecture of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lumumba, who was the Guest lecturer, spoke on the topic: “Globalisation: Challenges and Impact on the Sustainable Development of Africa.

He said that inadequate power supply in Nigeria and other African countries would continue to hamper the continent from actualising its potential and utilising its abundant resources.

The don noted that African countries could no longer depend on globalisation as defined by the western world for them.

“Nigeria and other African countries will not be industrialised if the continent does not have a stable power supply.

“We can no longer live on a continent where there is no regular power supply,’’ he said.

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The ex-director urged leaders on the continent to embrace Science and Technology, so as to create jobs for unemployed youths.

He said that massive investment in science, technology and stable power supply would lift Nigeria and others in the continent out of poverty, hunger and underdevelopment.

Lumumba decried the penchant by many Africans to use imported goods rather than locally made ones, saying that this trait was prominent in causing Western countries to describe the continent as developing.

He said that countries on the African continent would continue to create job opportunities in Western countries by using goods imported from them rather than locally made goods.

According to him, dependence on foreign aid and assistance has also not done the continent good or added value to the economies of the African countries.

He called on leaders on the African continent to allocate more funds to science and technology research, development and mechanised agriculture to boost their economies.

Earlier, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, the Vice-Chancellor, Bells University, said that the institution had developed remarkably in its 14 years of existence.

Ojediran commended the founding fathers of the institution for laying a solid foundation toward impacting positively on the development of society.

(NAN)