French President Emmanuel Macron says the relationship between Africa and Europe is very important because both continents need each other to succeed.
Speaking during an interactive session with entrepreneurs from Africa in Lagos on Wednesday, the French leader challenged the younger generation to change the African narrative, especially in the areas of entrepreneurship, economy, culture, and sports.
“This new narrative is to be built now and ideally,” he said.
“It is your responsibility and it is good for Africa and it is good for France because if Africa doesn’t succeed, France and Europe will never succeed on the long run.
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“For two very simple reasons, Europe is not an island and all this migration crisis is exactly due to the fact that we have a common destiny and second, because we have a very important African diaspora in France and the rest of Europe and they cannot live and develop themselves in France or in Europe if in their country people don’t succeed.”
He noted that the new generation has a lot of responsibilities and opportunities to build, and promised to support the youths towards achieving the desired objectives.
He also asked them to be innovative and take charge of Africa’s future, adding that it was the only way the continent can tackle its challenges, including illegal migration in search of greener pastures.
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“Nobody has to decide for our future; we are the ones to decide. Nobody has to lecture us, which means that we have to take our responsibilities, think about the legacy, the sustainability of our deeds, and how we should develop our countries,” he said.
“This new narrative is to say Africa is the one to decide for Africa, to explain about Africa, and to create its own model of entrepreneurship with its own culture and to explain it to the rest of the world, and not just to be part of the globalisation.”
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