President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has emphasized the need for economically viable nations of the world and international organizations to assist Liberia and Africa develop its infrastructures as a way of improving other aspects of the continent’s development.
She said if the people have infrastructure such as roads and basic social services such as electricity and water, this will give rise to the quality of life on the African continent and eventually improve other services like education, quality healthcare programs, and boost the agriculture sector of each country. The Liberian President said Africa’s potential for investment and growth is high, but emphasized that it needed strong assistance and collaboration from other industrialized nations to realize its full potential.
According to a dispatch from the German Alps of Schloss Elmau, President Sirleaf made the assertion when she addressed the outreach meeting of the G7 nations 41st Summit. The Liberian leader stressed that the eradication of poverty on the African continent was also vital as it helps promote growth, sustainability, enhances productivity and create jobs for its citizens. She said investment in the continent’s youthful population is most important as, the future of Africa is heavily reliant on its youthful population, but lagging behind due to the many constraints of either neglect, conflict or poverty.
President Sirleaf revealed that the African continent has made tremendous progress in the past two decades by laying the foundation for peace and security on the continent. Taking Liberia as an example, she indicated that 15 years ago, the country exported child soldiers and refugees. “Today, it is a nation educating a new generation of children who never heard a gunshot and looking towards a brighter future,” the Liberian leader said.
She emphasized that 20 years from now, Africa will be home to a youthful population of more than one billion people, with the greater majority of them less than 30 years old. “This could be a demographic dividend which could be of benefit not only to Africa but to the world as a whole,” she said, adding, “It could also be a time bomb, if we don’t arrive at a social order where inequalities are reduced; where we tackle the root causes of poverty that lead to desperation.”
