President Weah said the advancement of the African Continent rests solely on the shoulders of Africans and not external partners whom he said, “often come with preconditions.”
President Weah recalled how the African continent and its people endured difficulties towards their emancipation and development, noting that it’s now time that Africans come together to tap their rich potentials.
“I will encourage my peers to promote this idea because it is good for the growth of the African continent,” the President Weah said.
“I will do anything that will help our young people to develop.”
The Liberian leader spoke during the weekend at his Jamaica Resort during a meeting with heads of several African universities, who are in Liberia as part of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (FURORUM) Forum.
RUFORUM is a network of 105 universities in 37 African countries.
It was founded to galvanize joint efforts by African universities to contribute to efforts in reducing poverty and to improve food and nutrition security in Africa.
It is also to develop human capital for Africa especially at graduate and post-doctorate levels so that Africa can have the requisite capacity to drive its development agenda.
During the meeting, the Liberian leader reflected on collaborative efforts made by some African footballers against racism, which he said was at its highest peak in the 1980s and 1990s.
He urged African leaders to stand together in tackling racisms and other common threats.
At the same time, Weah indicated that the Forum was essential for Liberia in its efforts to attain growth.
He promised to do his best to promote the ideals of RUFORUM.
President Weah welcomed the delegation of university professors to Liberia and informed them, that research in agriculture, which the regional education body (RUFORUM) seeks to advance, was at the core of his Government’s development agenda.
He used the occasion to call for greater unity and cooperation amongst African governments, institutions and peoples in every sector of development in order to overcome growing diversities and surmount both internal and external challenges the continent faces.
On behalf of the visiting African professors, Prof. George Kanyama-Phiri, who is Vice Chancellor of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi, congratulated President Weah on his election as President of Liberia and for maintaining and strengthening good governance and institutional processes in Liberia.
“We want to congratulate His Excellency President Weah for his Government’s focus on strengthening agriculture and promoting science, technology and innovation for economic development in Liberia,” Dr. Kanyama-Phiri said.
The African universities professors also commended the Liberian leader for organizing a Liberia Higher Education Day meant to galvanize support and action for the development of higher education sector in Liberia.
They particularly recalled President Weah’s distinguished awards, which they said made Africa proud and made him a role model for sports and youth development in Africa.