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The Founder and Senior Partner at AB and David Law firm, David Ofosu-Dorte, has stressed the need for forward-looking leaders who can implement conscious strategies to help the Africa realise its full potential.

He said having visionary leaders alone was not enough but for the continent to develop, it needed leaders who could develop conscious leadership strategies geared towards the development of every aspect of Africa’s economy.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte, who is also a Rotarian, said this at an annual lecture of the Rotary Club of Accra Ridge in Accra last Thursday.

“Without conscious leadership strategies, we will develop but it will be by accident,” he said.

Lecture

The lecture, which is the 13th to be organised by the club, was on the theme: “The Myths holding back Africa’s development.”

The interactive session saw various rotarians asking questions on the best strategies to adopt as a nation and on the continent to help it fully develop.

Members also cut the anniversary cake to commemorate the 13th anniversary.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte observed that the continent had witnessed a wave of Africanisation and youth venturing into entrepreneurship.
 
“However, it is necessary for the entrepreneurs to come together to export volumes of their products to other continents to boost the economy.”

Renewed mindset

While calling on the citizens to rally behind visionary leaders to implement their strategies, Mr Ofosu-Dorte said Africans needed a renewed mindset and attitude towards work to help the leaders actualise their dreams.

The lawyer cited countries such as China, which got its citizens to work nine hours in a day and six days in a week to transform its economy.
 
“The truth is that most of us are lazy. We are not working hard enough. Imagine the President coming to tell us that we are lazy. Imagine what will happen? But the truth is that we need to change the ones who are not working and break the beliefs that are not helping us grow, so we can move forward,” Mr Ofosu-Dorte said.

Natural resources

Touching on natural resources, he said having natural resources alone was not enough to transform a country.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte added that the country could only make higher revenues from its resources only when it added value to them.

“We have abundant resources but if you do not add value it, it won’t yield much results to help transform your economy,” he added.

He said the use of excuses such as influence of foreign culture, colonialism, wrong governance system, lack of leadership and good governance were all myths that needed to be dispelled.

Advice

For his part, the President of the Rotary Club of Accra Ridge, Edem Menka, urged members to continue to give more and do good to society.

“As we mark this day, I implore you to be poised to impact the world with more projects,” he said.