Finding strategic solutions to Africa's problems remains one of the top priorities of the Center for Africa Strategic Studies (AFSAM). In achieveing this we continue to organise seminars, debates, conferences, leadership training programs, panels and discussion platforms. On the 7th of April 2017 we held the second African Youth Forum and we had three panelists and a moderator Mr Bahir ISMAIL from the Republic of Kenya currently studying Masters in Economics at Gazi University in Ankara Turkey. Under the topic “ADDRESING AFRICA’S CURRENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROBLEM FOR THE BETTER STANDARDS OF LIVING: SHOULD BE AFRICA’S CORE OBJECTIVE, HOW CAN THIS BE ACHIEVED?”. The program was attended by students from different African countries who are persuing their academic studies in different universities in Ankara Turkey.

The first panelist Mr Abubakker ABDELLA from the Republic of Sudan currently studying Masters in Middle Eastern and African Studies at Gazi University in Ankara Turkey. He stated that security and urbanisation are factors that should be considered in addressing socio-economic problems which are affecting the African continent. Because there are many security  and urbanisation related problems such as large numbers of refugees, increased rate of Internal Displaced People (IDP), existence of poverty and starvation, poilitical instability, economic Turmoil, emegence and spread of deadly dieseses such as ebola, chorela, AIDS, typhoid e.t.c. For example some research studies shows that a total number of the refugee population amongst a few selected African countries is 2,561,564. The selected countries are Ethiopia 659,524, Kenya 551,352, Chad 452,897, Uganda 385,513, Cameroon 264,126 and South Sudan 248,152 respectively. As solutions to some of these problems there should be  reconstruction and economic rehabilitation, reconciliation and social rehabilitation and political transition to create more accountable governance structures and institutions. There should be human resource production by investing in people through Education and training.

The second panelist Mr Ebrima S. NJIE from the Republic of The Gambia currently studying PHD in Horticulture at Ankara University in Ankara Turkey. Kicking off he suggested that Africa is mostly affected by the brain drainage at the risk of loosing millions of qualified professionals. Brain drain is the migration of trained and qualified professionals from developing countries to developed countries. According to researches Africa has lost more than 300, 000 qualified proffesionals to the diaspora, for every 100 African professionals sent abroad to study 35 of them fail to return back. Brain drain have negative consequences on the economic growth and the advancement of knowledge in the country. In addition academic brain drain results in low levels of research, poor quality of Education and low levels of innovation. Despite the negative effects brain drain has some positive effects for example about 45 billion US dollars has been sent to the continent as remittances annually by emigrants to support the welfare of their immediate households. Migrants can contribute to skills development when they return and the remittances contribute to the balance of payment in the countries. Inorder to solve the current socio-economic problem for better standards of living Africa needs doctors, teachers, engineers, IT specialist, nurses, Agric engineers e.t.c

The third panelist Mr Khalid Mutasim KHALFAN from the Republic of Uganda currently studying Masters in Human Resource Management at Gazi University in Ankara Turkey. In his contributions he stated that lack of good leadership, lack of morality on leaders and lack of good governance are some of the major problems affecting the African continent. Morality in the sense that one should do the right thing and make the right decision. And this somehow connects to leadership because we cant’t talk of leadership without morality. Because morality is connected to intergrity, unfortunately most African leaders do not apply these principles in their leadership. Corruption has become the order of the day which has led leaders to forget their purpose of saving the people and the country. Leaders are getting into power for their selfish reasons accumulating wealth at the expense of the general public. In solving these leadership problems African leaders should know that they are there to work for the people and they are the servants of the people. Transparency should part of the leadership, because it makes leaders to be accountable and answerable to the citizens of the country. Rules and regulations should apply to maintain the morality of leaders and to enhance the existance of good governance.

In conclusion according to the panelists brain drain, security and urbanisation problems, lack of good leadership, lack of morality on leaders and lack of good governance are some of the major problems affecting the African continent. However from the audience there was emphasise of Africans promoting nationalism, because nationalism is the basis for the promotion of Pan Africanism. This is so because nationalism builds the unconditional love of one to work and sacrifice for his/her own country. Therefore this can easily be practised on the continental basis thereby giving birth to Pan Africanism which will unite all the Africans on one common goal which is addressing Africa’s current socio-economic problem for achieving better standards of living. Also it was pointed out that there’s need for reforms in the entire system of the African politics, because it is one contributing factor of these socio-economic problems since it has a lot of loop holes which allows unqaulified people to be part of the political arena.

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