Following the end of the maiden edition of the 3-day public lecture in memory of Professor George Ayittey which began at the University of Mines and Technology, some students of UMaT have shared the lessons they have drawn from the ideas, scholarship, and life of the world-renowned author and economist.
The George Ayittey Memorial lecture was organized by the Africa Center for Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment (ACEYE) and was aimed at igniting the potential of Africa and pave way for a freer and more prosperous continent.
The 3-day public event began on the 24th of July, 2023 at the campus of UMaT and later at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on the 25th of July, 2023. University of Ghana and Academic City University College crowned the lectures on the 26th of July 2023.
The lecture featured speakers such as Dr. Tom Palmer, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and Vice President for International Programs at the Atlas Network, Lawyer Kofi Bentil, Senior Vice President and Policy Analyst with Imani Center for Policy and Education and Olumayowa Okediran; a political and economic analyst.
The maiden edition of the memorial lecture was aimed to explore the public and academic impacts of the ideas of the visionary leader and their relevance to Africa’s current economic situation. The lectures also targeted the younger generation and aimed at rejuvenating governments in Africa to fight economic issues such as ineffective policies, widespread hardship, poverty, and despair among African young people.
After the lecture at UMaT, some students shared the lessons drawn from the speakers and Professor George Ayittey and how these lessons are going to impact their lives.
Wilbert Venunye is a Natural Gas Engineering Student at UMaT. He shared how he has been enlightened by the lectures and how the African youth can be the catalyst for economic transformation.
“I have learned a lot about Professor George Ayittey. Coming here has enlightened me. Today I have learned that the solution to Africa’s problems is in the hands of the youth. Aside from that, George Ayittey is a humanitarian, an economist, and a policy analyst who made sure that whatever policy governments bring on board is refined and analyzed to ensure sustainability to benefit sustainability at large,” Wilbert remarked.
For Amati Alidatu, Petroleum Geoscience Student at UMaT, she remarked that she has been poised to believe that Africans can solve our problems on our own contrary to the assertion that Africans are not capable of managing our own affairs.
She said, “Africans can do something on our own. We should not be the hippos but should rather be the cheetahs so that Africa can grow further. Dr. George Ayittey usually quotes radio is the death and life of Africa.”
Moreover, Abdul Rahman Emad, Electrical Engineering Student also shared how the lecture has enlightened him on the life of the renowned academic and economist and also how good policies are needed to tackle the numerous problems of Africa.
“I have learned a lot about Professor George Ayittey. Coming here today has enlightened me. I didn’t even know much about him. Coming for this lecture, I have learned a lot about him. He is an economist and somebody who was very keen on Africa’s development. Though he has passed on, Africa has seen the good policies that he had for the continent. I have also learned about the numerous problems of Africa and how to solve them,” Abdul Rahman noted.
Professor George Ayittey, born on 13th October 1945 and died 28th January 2022, was a Ghanaian economist, author, and president of the Free Africa Foundation in Washington.
He was a professor at an American university and an associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
He championed the argument that “Africa is poor because she is not free,” that the primary cause of African poverty is less a result of the oppression and mismanagement by colonial powers but rather a result of modern oppressive native autocrats and social central planning policies.
