Africa's drive for a continental union is bound to happen if it is driven by citizens not leaders, a civil society organisation, Centre for National Affairs has said.

Executive Director Samuel Lartey observed the idea of African unity among 54 states is too big to be engineered by leaders without the passionate and active involvement of its people.

The CNA Executive Director made the observation during a visit to the Adidome Government hospital in the Volta region to make a donation to mark AU Day.

Mobilising about a dozen volunteers, the Centre gave out mattresses, ceiling fans and T-Shirts to the hospital which serves more than 7,700 residents.

Explaining the motive for the donation, he said most Ghanaians have very little knowledge of the concept of African Unity and would need gestures that affirm love and unity.

He said in this endeavour, civil societies can do more to galvanise the Ghanaian people to buy into the concept. "The approach towards realising African unity should be from a down to the top and not top down", he said. 

Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity(OAU) now known as the African Union on May 25, 1963.

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