Proferring solutions to challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa

THE state in which the African continent, especially sub-Saharan Africa is should give everybody from the continent cause for concern.

Despite being blessed with abundant human and natural resources, the African continent, which is the second largest, is the poorest of all the six continents of the world, and it is like a ‘beggar,’ looking up to the other developed continents for survival.

This reality is definitely what brought about Sylvanus Adetokunboh Ayeni’s book, ‘Rescue Thyself: Change in Sub-Saharan Africa Must Come from Within’.

I have freed over 420 hostages from bandits without ransom ― Zamfara…

The author, a retired neurosurgeon in the United States of America, believes that for the continent to thrive, there must be an awakening, and this book, without doubt, is a positive contribution to issues that have been addressed and solutions provided for the continent, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, to develop to its potential.

The three-fold aim of the book, according to the author, is to first, discuss with several constituencies about the necessity to find alternative pathways to solve the monumental problems facing the countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The second aim is to remind future generation of leaders from the continent that everything needed for the prosperity of the respective countries in sub-Saharan Africa has been provided by God and what is needed is only to work towards achieving a prosperous continent with the resources already made available by God.

The last aim of the book “is to admonish citizens of sub-Saharan Africa, especially the leaders, to search their inner core and reflect very deeply on their past, present and future. To remind them that life anchored on the pursuit of money, material wealth, power by any means, and failure to care for others and love them as oneself is hollow, empty, and meaningless.”

The third aim of the book summarises the problem countries in sub-Saharan Africa are facing. It can be said that the majority of political leaders on the continent care only for what they can gain from public service, and not what they can offer. In this scenario, how does one understand political leaders from impoverished countries that survive on foreign donations, earning more than politicians from the same donor countries?

Ayeni’s book also hits a target with some youths, who, to a large extent, do not value the culture of hard work, but want to enjoy the good things of life. One then wonders what the future will hold if those who are to carry the baton are also not on the right path.

However, the author’s personal experience of his contributions to developing the educational sector in Koro-Ekiti, Kwara State, his hometown, makes him realise that there is a significant disconnect between the compassion and good intentions of the development gurus, the philanthropic organizations, and foreign aid aficionados and the realities of the lives of the poor people in sub-Saharan Africa.