It is really a pleasure to be back as an elder at this great institution of learning and to its strongest debating forum- the Oxford Union. Forty-six years ago, I was a member of this Union and took inspiration, great inspiration indeed, I must say, from the many distinguished speakers who came here. At that time, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s wind of change speech delivered to the South African Parliament in 1960 had taken root and de-colonisation of much of Africa had begun; it was not only the elite British academics and politicians who blessed the Union with their presence, but from far away Africa, also came others like Tom Mboya of Kenya, a firebrand, if ever there was one, who spoke against colonial rule. All views, then and, I am sure, even now, were tolerated, for the end desire was knowledge.

Like all things, colonial agitation passed with the liberation of most of the African colonies within the next decade. But in its trail, the new Africa of nascent states, found itself in the grips of the ideological divisions of the times in the Cold War. That turbulent period was to contribute in no small way to the political upheavals, destabilisation and stagnation of the young states and their economies. This phase was to last the next three decades.

The collapse of the Berlin Wall signalled the end of the Cold War, and the forces of democracy that were unleashed in its wake, sounded a clarion call in Africa for legitimacy and accountability in governance. In consequence, a new breed of elected leaders, started emerging on the continent from the last decade of the past century. The new leaders are generally well educated, with the benefit of exposure to the international community. Responsive to their electorate, they are also committed to making things work better for their communities and the world at large.

Mr. President, there is a proverb in Ghana that says “Any time we pass by the ancient place of habitat, we should remember the heroes of the past.” I will therefore begin my lecture this evening - which looks at the “The Role of Africa and its leadership in the Affairs of the World Today,” by paying tribute to the founders of the Union who, 183 years ago, planted a seed which, like an acorn, has grown into a mighty oak, under whose shade brilliant youth of all times congregate to debate issues pertinent to the betterment of the world. It is significant, is it not, that many Prime Ministers of this great nation, the United Kingdom, as well as other leaders of other countries were members of this Union in their student days here at Oxford. Let me also commend the current managers for upholding and furthering this enlightened tradition.

Mr. President, this year, Ghana is marking her Golden Jubilee of Independence. It has afforded the nation the opportunity for stock-taking both of itself and of its role within Africa and the world. Perhaps, I should remind you that Ghana was the first nation in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence in 1957, and can therefore claim to be the pace-setter in many ways of development on the continent.

Africa’s contribution to thought, civilization and development should be well-known. Unfortunately, some great academics and opinion leaders in the developed world persist in denying this. If one should even forget about ancient Egypt and the northern African nations of those times in connection with the beginnings of ancient civilizations, especially in the fields of astrology, architecture and learning in general, there is still evidence in sub-Saharan Africa about great ancient empires like Ghana, Mali and Songhai which respectable history admits to have had complex systems of governance and developments, including places of learning like the university at Timbuktu originating as far back as the 11th century. The annals of the trans-Saharan trade between the Arab world of the north and these empires south of the Sahara attest to this.

However, the factor of the geography of those empires which were far removed from the main sea-lanes of the Mediterranean which were the main cross-roads of the civilization of the then known worlds, and the mysterious and forbidding sands of the Sahara stretching thousands of miles, separated them from the Europe of the Middle Ages. There was thus hardly any intercourse between Europe and Africa south of the Sahara.

This geographical chasm was not to be bridged until adventurous sea-farers like Vasco da Gama, and Christopher Colombus in search of sea routes ventured into West Africa in the 15th century through the Atlantic.

This was how the vital cross fertilization of ideas and cultures that was taking place around the Mediterranean which lifted Europe into the processes of modernization, driven by improving science and technology, by-passed Africa south of the Sahara and put it at an epochal disadvantage when the first Europeans landed. This was also how the early Europeans in exploiting commerce with the natives, managed to introduce influences which degenerated into the Slave Trade within a century of arrival.

This phase of Euro-Africa relations was to last four centuries till the abolition of slavery in the 19th century. Through it, millions of Africans had been forcibly transported to go and fuel the development of the new world of the Americas. The enslaved Africans thereby contributed not only their labour in agricultural fields but also culturally, especially through music and sports. The persona of the Americas cannot be defined without these contributions.

Incidentally, Mr. President, this year marks the bi-centenary of the abolition of the Slave Trade. I had the honour to address two functions in connection with the celebrations, first in Hull the hometown of William Wilberforce and then in Liverpool in memory of John Roscoe. The intriguing aspect of the abolition was that barely had the Abolition laws been enacted than the European powers met in Berlin to partition Africa into their respective spheres of influence in 1874.

This new phase was also to last for the next 100 years and beyond, till the defeat of Apartheid in 1990. All this time, the Africans were pressed to open up their markets, and their resources were there for the taking by their European masters with impunity. Their youth were also pressed into the Great Wars on the side of their masters. That was the Colonial Era.

That Africa had some culture before the advent of Europeans was captured by the Anthropologist Meyerovitz who on encountering the Akan culture in the 1940s in Ghana, observed that the culture was fossilised civilisation. In other words, the arrival of the Europeans stymied its development.

Mr. President, this is where Africa is coming from. Africa of today is determined to make a break with the past of subjugation and lift itself up by its own boot straps, so to speak.

Acknowledging the continent’s formidable handicaps including conflicts, some of which still persist, poverty, illiteracy and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria and also the fast moving challenges of globalisation, the new breed of Africa’s leaders is nevertheless resolved to play a very proactive role in defining the values that should hallmark the evolution of the Global Village. Indeed, they are already playing serious roles in managing the globalisation process.

The mainstay of this Village must be the acknowledgement and upholding across the board, of the common values of respect for humanity irrespective of race, religion, politics and economic status. The hallmarks must be equity in the promotion of economic and social growth and shared prosperity among all the peoples without compromising the environment. Global peace and security must be the underpinning of this Village. This is the vision that impels Africa of today.

This new leadership has converted the Organization of African Unity (OAU) which was established in 1963 to prosecute the liberation of the continent and which attained its objective with the collapse of Apartheid in 1990, into the African Union. The aim of the Union which was established at the beginning of this century is to open up the continent for socio-economic development, and fashion a Union Government established on the principles of respect for Human Rights, inclusiveness of all its peoples, using best practices in economic management, transparency and accountability, and also inviting partnership both domestically and internationally for development. It is using the regional economic communities as building blocks towards realisation of the Union, and has fashioned two major mechanisms, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to establish Good Governance and best practices among the component states and its various institutions. Already the Constitutive Act which is the continental constitution has set up a secretariat, a parliament and a judicial system which are working.

Mr. President, that Africa is increasingly assuming a dignified position within the councils of the world is evidenced first by the fact that within the past two decades it has produced two secretaries general of the UN, Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali of Egypt and Mr. Kofi Annan my compatriot and friend. During their tenure the UN was launched into reforms including infusion of more democracy into the Security Council.

Secondly, Africa now is the centre of attraction in world circles, including the G-8 which has invited a number of the new leaders to about five of its meetings within the past five years. The objective of these meetings has been to consult Africa on the way forward. I have had the privilege of attending three of these meetings.

Mr. President, all these things are happening and Africa is very much involved. The search is on for Global Solutions. Africa stands side by side with the rest of the world in search of the solution for climate change, the search by the World Trade Organization (WTO) for fair and equitable trade terms, the reform of the UN on the basis of democracy, the search for peace and stability around the world, the fight against trafficking in weapons, narcotics and human beings, the UN move for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to reduce poverty by half by 2015 and reduce infant and maternal mortality in the developing world. Africa is represented in all the councils engaged in these searches. Africa also participates in world sports, to the extent that South Africa is to host the FIFA world cup tournament in 2010.

Mr. President, it has been widely observed that in terms of the socio-economic development of the continents and the races of the world, Africa is the last frontier to overcome. I dare say that with the current cooperation Africa and its leaders are attracting from the international community, all the signals are showing and coming together for the realisation of this historic attainment, confidently within this century.