The University of Professional Studies, Accra, (UPSA) has launched a strategic leadership centre dubbed “Drolor Centre for Strategic Leadership” aimed at addressing leadership deficiencies that has been blamed for the woes of the African continent.

The Centre is intended to become the excellent platform for executive leadership development for African leaders who understand the consequences of their actions and in-actions on current and future generations.

Nene Drolor Bosso Adamtey, Chancellor of the University, expressed worry that Ghana and Africa in general possessed rich resources but was immersed in abject poverty and afflicted with diseases and conflicts.

He blamed the situation on bad leadership, citing improper training for the next generation, failure of current leadership to “pass on batons” to the next generation and “out-dated mind-set” of present crop of leaders, as the main causes holding back development.

“Africa is the first to be ignored and the last to be recognised, Africa does not need hand-outs but genuine leadership. We can develop if we invest in the leadership and social marketing skills of the youth,” he said.

Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante, Chairman of the National Peace Council who described Africa as being in a “mess,” urged Ghana to take up the challenge to provide leadership to deliver Africa out of its economic woes.

He said the country was uniquely positioned due to its international recognition of being the oasis of peace and security in Africa, and therefore has “the pedigree to provide strategic leadership to the continent”.

He said “the challenge of Africa is nothing but the challenge of leadership” and wondered how African leaders gave negative account of the countries to “colonial masters” in the hope of getting favour which came and lasted in the short term.

Professor Joshua Alabi, Vice Chancellor of the University, said the African continent needed a paradigm shift originating from bold decisions and innovations to turn around falling economic fortunes.

He expressed the hope that the Centre would provide the envisioned strategic leadership that would bring about enough change in leadership for the economic transformation of Africa.