The Founder of the National Interest Movement, Dr Abu Sakara Foster, has challenged African youth to take charge of the continent’s liberation by dismantling the economic and political architecture that continues to suppress its freedom and development.

He made the call at a youth dialogue on diaspora engagement and Africa’s future, held in Accra on Saturday on the theme: “Reclaiming Africa’s wealth, resisting neocolonial bondage.”

The youth conference had attendees and speakers from regions across the country as well as Nigeria, Niger, and Guinea.

Dr Sakara said the youth represented the continent’s future, hence, their crucial role in redefining Africa’s destiny.

He stated that Africa’s true freedom remained constrained because the current global economic and political architecture confined the continent’s trade and limited its ability to employ its own resources for its own people.

The former Presidential Candidate described this architecture as a unique form of fashion that has been normalised over time, stifling African ingenuity and economic independence.

Dr Sakara noted that increasing the presence and engagement of the global African diaspora would be timely in confronting and reversing what he described as a “suppressive system.”

He cautioned that if this window was not seized, the continent risked being locked into another unfavourable structure in the next few years, further delaying its progress.

He explained that leveraging the knowledge, skills, and resources gained from ancestors through generations, combined with the strength of the diaspora, could create new economic and human spaces for sustainable development.

Dr Sakara clarified that connecting with the diaspora should go beyond symbolic gestures or token advice to leaders, calling for deeper and more practical integration.

He said the ultimate goal was to have members of the diaspora return to form integrated communities within Africa, so that over generations, they would no longer be seen as outsiders but as part of the continent’s fabric.

The former Presidential Candidate acknowledged that such a vision would be challenging to achieve but noting that it was worth winning for future generations.

He urged conference participants to reflect on the multiple dimensions of the struggle ahead, including the economic, geopolitical, and social fronts, and to consider the specific roles they would play in each area.

He called for unity and commitment, asking the youth to feel at home and to prepare themselves to be active participants in shaping Africa’s future.