African leaders have gathered here in Accra to discuss and concretize a new road map for the Pan African Agenda.

The leaders will in the next three days look at how they can build an integrated continent and also pool resources to the benefit of all African countries.

They want to achieve a common goal that will ensure that no African country is left behind in their quest to ensure that the continent develops.

The leaders including ECOWAS chairman John Mahama, former AU Chairman Thomas Yayi Boni, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea Vincete Ehate Tomi and representatives of other African leaders are attending this meeting.

President Mahama who opened the 8^th Pan African Congress says it is unfortunate that though the continent can talk of political freedom, we cannot say same for other things.

"Pan Africanism has always focused on the emancipation of the African people while the liberation struggle is largely over the Pan Africanist agenda is not yet complete.

"While we may be politically free the question we must ask is are we culturally free; are we economically free; are we mentally liberated?

"Indeed in the current globalised world the need for Pan Africanist solidarity is more urgent than before. The battle is more complicated than before. The challenges we face are more complicated than before," he pointed out.

He said for a continent once described as dark, it is the responsibility of everybody to work aggressively towards building a formidable Pan-African agenda.

President Mahama believes the continent can address these issues it is able to deal with the traces of colonialism.

Daughter of Ghana's first president Samia Nkrumah told Joy News the pan african agenda needs a strong ideology to back it.

She proposed the adoption of Nkrumaism which she believed could propel the continent forward.