By Clement Adeyi.
Dr Olusegun Olanipekun is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Christian Leadership Development (ICLD) based in Pretoria, South Africa.
In this interview, he sheds light on the relevance of Africa Leadership Summit scheduled for Jerusalem from July 31-August 7.
According to him, the summit would draw African leaders from all walks of life to observe modern Israel, its cutting-edge technology, start-up culture, Agric business as well as human development initiatives for the development of Africa.
The ALS and ART (Apostolic Round Table), a frontline advocacy for good governance NGO, are like two sides of the same coin because they have some programmes in common.
As a result, the ART is in partnership with the ALS to facilitate exposure to developmental initiative in Nigeria, especially in agriculture,
technology and education and to drive the ALS programmes for optimal results.
In your capacity as the Chairman of Institute for Christian Leadership Development (ICLD), you have been speaking glowingly about the Africa Leaders Development Summit scheduled for Jerusalem in July/August this year. What is the background of the institute and its significance to the submit?
ICLD trains leaders in the application of biblical principles to public life. The organisation was incorporated in South Africa in 2005. The training programmes have spread to over 20 countries and impacted thousands of leaders. Since 2013, the Lord has led me and others to establish the summit which convenes biennially in Jerusalem. It has also convened in several other African countries and cities. In addition, we have established the Africa-Israel Chamber of Commerce promoting trade between African countries and Israel and the Africa Agency, which cater for community development in various parts of the continent. This year (2023), together with several other leaders, I convene the 5th Africa Leadership Summit in Jerusalem from 31 July to 7 August, 2023.
What is A. L. S. 2023 all about? What strategies are being put in place to drive the summit for success? Why is Israel the destination, or what is the place of Israel in this global programme? The Africa Leadership Summit (A.L.S.) invites African leaders from all walks of life to observe modern Israel, its cutting-edge technology, start-up culture, Agric business and human development initiatives and be inspired for the development of Africa. A.L.S. has engaged leaders in the private and public sectors in East, West and Southern Africa and Africans in the diaspora, Europe, and America to converge in Israel. The conference’s goal is that interactions at this level will generate developmental programs following Israel’s and other examples in establishing sustainable development programs driven by both the private and public sector in every African community.
. At the base of National Transformation (NT) is Community Development CD. Can you shed more light on this assertion? Community Development is the future of Africa. National and centralized developmental programs have left Africans poorer than in colonial times. Israel has modelled community development programs and initiatives through the Jewish Agency, the “Tikkun Olam” (rebuilding the world), and the Mashav (the international cooperation Agency of the Jewish Government). The Jewish Agency and Mashav representatives will attend and address the 5th Africa Leadership Summit in August 2023.
What roles do you think governments across the globe should play to guarantee the emergence of the African continent in the global reckoning? What kind of reckonings do you think are vital in this context? Governments across the globe should promote trade and not aid in Africa. World Governments should facilitate debt relief for Africa and discontinue cultural colonization of the continent and other neo-colonial strategies. Africa will become a global power if Africans can develop their trade initiates with support and partnerships from communities worldwide.
How can citizens work together to understand developmental indices and how to apply them in resolving challenges in respective communities to enhance a brighter future being yearned for on continents? Community development programs need to employ a bottom-up approach with the support of the African diaspora. The African diaspora is eager to invest back home. The Africa Leadership Summit recognizes the high morale and the purchasing power of African Americans and African immigrants, encouraging them to participate in developing rural communities in Africa. Through the Africa Agency and the Africa Israel Chamber of Commerce, we facilitate business, trade, and development initiatives in the most rural communities of Africa.
What inspired your organization’s (A.L.S.) passion for this global programme, and how far do you hope to go in other similar inclinations in future? The primary motivation is the need for the development of Africa. By divine inspiration, we observe that God prioritizes development. That underdevelopment is a manifestation of darkness and that the light of Christ dispels darkness, thereby facilitating development. The confluence that created the conferences in Israel and various cities of Africa has generated unstoppable ideas, development paradigms, and dynamics. Through decentralized customized programs, A.L.S. generates momentum that leaders and communities adopt, own, and implement with the support of others. I am encouraged by business opportunities generated on the platform and the initiatives in various communities of Africa. The flow is divine, and whatever is born of God overcomes.
