Grammy-nominated musician and Pan-African cultural ambassador Rocky Dawuni has issued a passionate rallying cry for immediate continental reform, arguing that Africa cannot afford to wait until 2063 to achieve its development potential.
Addressing an assembly of student leaders and activists at the University of Ghana on March 14, 2026, during The Borderless Africa Campus Connect, Mr. Dawuni painted a sobering picture of a continent struggling under the weight of self-inflicted wounds and systemic governance failures.
The legendary artiste reserved his harshest critique for the ongoing, devastating conflict in Sudan, describing it as a tragic manifestation of how external and internal interests continue to fracture African solidarity.
“Many different interests, a country that is divided, one of the richest, but cannot use its own resources to uplift its people. In Sudan, our own brothers and sisters are turning on each other, fighting among themselves, with interests pulling in different directions and pitting groups against each other. That’s what’s going on,” Rocky Dawuni observed.
Rocky Dawuni further highlighted the heartbreaking reality of African youth who, disillusioned by poor leadership and economic hardship at home, are risking their lives on dangerous trans-Saharan journeys to reach Europe. He pointed to this mass migration as the ultimate indictment of current governance models on the continent.
“And then, even within our own nations, we see challenges where our youth have lost all hope. Many are travelling across deserts, facing dangers, and crossing the Sahara to reach Europe in search of a new dream outside the continent,” he noted.
From ‘Agenda 2063’ to ‘Agenda Now’
While acknowledging the African Union’s long-term developmental frameworks, such as Agenda 2063, the cultural ambassador insisted that the urgency of the current socio-economic crisis demands a departure from long-range bureaucratic planning.
“So, when I look at all of this—the African Union said Agenda 2020, Agenda 2063, meaning the Africa we want. But I feel we must respectfully transform that philosophy into the Africa we need right now,” he urged.
The event, hosted by Africans Rising in collaboration with the Rocky Dawuni Foundation, served as a crucible for intergenerational dialogue.
It featured key Pan-Africanist voices, including Movement Coordinator Hardi Yakubu and student leader Moses D. Kouyo, who engaged with the audience on the practical steps required to hold leadership accountable.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
