Ezekwesili Believes Disruptive Technologies Might Help Africa Surpass China’s Rise 

Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education in Nigeria, spoke at the first Change and Development Forum in Lagos, which was organised by the Dare Adeboye Foundation.

News Agency of Nigeria

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the Change and Development Forum was intended to foster meaningful discourse and collaborations among players in the social impact sector.

The event’s purpose was to spark policy and strategic talks about social development, with an emphasis on young Nigerians.

The event was conducted at the Redemption Camp to commemorate the first anniversary of Pastor Dare Adeboye’s death and to build a development epitaph for the late pastor.

At the ceremony, the foundation also presented its five-year strategy.

Adeboye, 42, died in his sleep on May 4, 2021 in Eket, Akwa Ibom, the son of Pastor E.A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Ezekwesili spoke at the occasion and hailed the late Pastor Dare Adeboye as a silent and unsung motivator, advocate, and pillar of sustainable development and country building.

She also expressed their shared love of young people and Nigeria, and asked the foundation’s administration to continue and institutionalise the late Dare’s commitment.

“It is Africa’s moment. If Africa gets it, it will take Africa shorter time-span than it took China to reach technology development.

“The Africa which missed the Agricultural Revolution, the bus of the Industrial Revolution and a bit of the Knowledge Revolution, but caught on with the ICT revolution with about a billion Africans having access to mobile phones, this is a structural revolution that can jump-start a continent,” she said.

According to Ezekwesili, the proliferation of mobile phones and digital gadgets in Africa is Africa’s first revolution, with the mobile phone serving as a tremendous asset for the common African.

Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, the First Lady of Ogun State, spoke at the occasion and advocated for united efforts to achieve sustainable development in order to support and complement the government’s goal.

Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, who also spoke at the occasion, emphasised the scope and effect of the RCCG’s efforts in hunger, poverty, and the health sector.

Iluyomade is the Chairman of His Love Foundation and the Special Assistant to the RCCG General Overseer on Christian Social Responsibility (CSR).

He praised the event’s panel discussion, in which prominent industry experts emphasised the need of leveraging cooperation and information exchange to create greater impact toward the realisation of sustainable development.

Mr Mervin Azeta, Mr Lanre Oyegbola, Mrs Mojola Ola, Mrs Odunayo Sanya, and Pastor Idowu Iluyomade were among the panellists at the event that reviewed Nigeria’s progress, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The Dare Adeboye Foundation was established on June 9, 2021, to perpetuate and consolidate Pastor Dare’s legacy as a Senior Youth Pastor in RCCG.

Youth Empowerment, Kingdom Expansion, Leadership, Governance, and Education are the foundation’s four main programmes.

The foundation aspires to prepare and empower 1000 young leaders in the public, corporate, and social sectors over the next five years.

It helps 100 youth-led enterprises, 100 towns, organisations, and clubs, and 500 people and families further their education.

It also provides 5,000 African kids with a variety of digital skills.