All Africa Students Union and the President, Centre for Attitudinal Healing, Dr. Mike Omotosho, have called on all stakeholders to collaborate to improve the quality of education and boost development in Africa.

Nigeria Representative, AASU, Yinka Dallas, decried what the union called lack of development on the African continent.

He said there was the need for pragmatic efforts and systematic plan to accelerate educational, socio-economic, political and technological advancement in Africa.

He spoke during the conferment of 2013 Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award on Omotosho on Monday.

Dallas stated that the continent was still bedevilled with illiteracy, terrorism, poverty and epidemics.

He said many students have had their hopes dashed as a result of inept leadership.

Dallas said, “With its vast natural and human resources, it is still confounding that Africa is at the lowest rung of development, with highest incidence of terrorism, illiteracy, mass poverty, hunger and starvation and constant outbreak of preventable epidemics.

“I see the pain of dashed hopes, the agony of thwarted dreams and the regrets of expectations not met in the face of African students and youths at large.

“The continent is perpetually enmeshed in terrorism, regional war of attrition and economic power which daily threaten the achievement of democracy and good governance. Yet, most leaders have displayed gross incompetence to govern but refused to allow the needed democratic change in their countries.

“This unacceptable situation cannot continue in Africa. The youths of Africa should wake up and participate fully in the process of change which should commence now.

“The founding fathers of Africa like late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah gave their all to liberate our continent from internal, neo-colonialism, and neo-liberalism in order to live in the dreams of our great founding fathers and realise our own lofty dreams.”

Omotosho called on the private sector to invest more in the development of education.

He stated that with greater public-private partnership, there would be remarkable advancement in education in Nigeria and Africa.