President John Mahama has identified terrorism, religion and economic disparities as some of the new challenges creating “borders” within the African continent.

According to him, inasmuch as the continent is getting united through technology and other methods, these factors must be fiercely confronted in order to create a more united and purposeful Africa.

Speaking on the theme: "A Continent on the Move: People, Politics and Business Across Borders" at this year’s Oxford-Africa conference in the UK Friday , Mr Mahama said Africa is bent on moving forward in spite of the challenges facing it.

“It is true that the physical borders, those colonial constructs are no longer as monumental or divisive but they are not the only borders in existence. There are new borders being drawn everyday by religious intolerance, by economic disparity, by gender discrimination, by xenophobia, by terrorism and by hatred and fear.

“The challenge to moving forward is finding new ways to not only cross those borders but also erase them completely,” he stated.

The Oxford Africa Conference is a unique blend of business and society intended for individuals and institutions looking for unparalleled depth and insight into Africa’s transformation.

The conversation on education will focus on the emerging patterns within the African educational ecosystem (looking at sub-Saharan Africa in particular) as well as the possibilities that lie behind solving some of these issues.

Top speakers will discuss the inherent complexities in access to finance, and the effect on the continent’s evolution, while the discussion on social entrepreneurship will profile major trends and obstacles affecting innovation.