The President of the Pan African Leadership Institute (PALI), Dr Kofi-Osei-Kush, has called on African leaders to rediscover the continent’s indigenous leadership values and embrace collaboration to drive unity and development across Africa.
In an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) ahead of the institute’s annual leadership conference, Osei-Kush said that many leadership development programmes were Western in orientation.
He said that Africa must rediscover its leadership principles rooted in its traditional institutions and ancestral wisdom.
“As a leadership institute serving Africans and the diaspora, we strive to accomplish the vision of leaders such as Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who believed that, for Africa to prosper, we must come together as one continent,” he said.
According to him, PALI’s leadership model stands out because it honours the wisdom of the continent’s ancestors and promotes leadership from an African cultural and historical perspective.
He said that Africa, being the cradle of civilisation, must not lose sight of its greatness.
“Civilisation began here. Education and early innovations came from Africa. Yet, today, we seem to have forgotten that legacy.
“PALI is awakening that spirit of greatness and reminding Africans that they can do it again,” he said.
He told NAN that the 2025 Global Leadership Conference would have the theme: “Root and Radiance: Uniting Legacies Across Cultures and Continents”.
He said that the theme was carefully chosen to advance the vision of Africa’s founding fathers.
He said the conference, billed to hold in January 2026, was aimed to bring Africans together to explore collaborations in business, education, technology, research and culture.
He said the gathering in Nigeria was also aimed at engaging the institute’s alumni network, which boasts of more than 140 senior leaders.
“Our mantra is ‘Your Network is Your Net Worth.’
“This meeting allows our alumni to connect, share experiences and inspire one another toward greater leadership impact,” he said.
On youth empowerment, he said PALI supported young Africans through its Youth Leadership Professional Course and mentorship initiatives.
“Our senior leaders are encouraged to mentor younger people. Through mentoring and our leadership courses, we are shaping the next generation of African leaders,” he said.
On ethical leadership, he emphasised that adherence to principles, virtues, and integrity remained key to Africa’s socio-economic transformation.
“Leadership is about solving problems. Ethics set the standard for leaders to serve with integrity, reduce corruption and greed, and focus on the people,” he said.
The PALI president urged African leaders to embrace technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) while maintaining a balance between innovation and human development.
“Technology has benefits and risks.
“We must train leaders to understand AI and put systems in place to regulate its excesses so that technology serves humanity, not the other way,” he cautioned. (NAN)