Boston USA October 23, 2013 -  The Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Agency and former Prime Minister of Niger, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki has cautioned that the growing youth population in Africa, which has access to modern and rapid communications systems could impact adversely on the Africa nation state, if social inequality and the current systems of government are not revised.

Dr Mayaki was speaking during a robust engagement with senior Masters Student at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the Unites States. The Lecture is part of a series of activities to mark NEPAD Week, during the United Nations General Assembly Debate on Africa, at its headquarters in New York.

The NEPAD Chief’s robust engagement with international politics and development students tackled the role of the Africa state and how it has evolved in the last fifty years, cautioning that the current equation of Africa being the most unequal and yet youngest continent in the world could result into an explosive situation.

“Tunisia and Mali which were once models of development are no longer that. With new means of communication and the new generational change, youth are seizing power and expect immediate answers and results thus putting a lot of pressure. Our systems of government today need a bold change,” said Dr Mayaki

He said in the 80’s and 90’s, there were austere yet necessary Structural Adjustments Processes which weakened the States capacities to think strategically and thus had direct impact on the natural de-structualisation of the African state. A drive to remedy this gave birth to NEPAD.

He cited a lot of positive developments had taken place in Africa in the last twenty years. He cited more women in positions of power; the six fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa; regional co-operation and integration which is providing answers to some of Africa’s challenges

Later today, Dr Mayaki will address UN Member States on the African Union Theme Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance, in New York.