Introduction
Excellencies, distinguished guests, members of the Press, ladies and gentlemen, this is a unique day and unique occasion for me. In the first instance, it is a singular honour and privilege to be given this rare opportunity to address such a distinguished audience on the sore issue of poverty in Africa that has agitated my mind for several years now. But most importantly, today happens to be the birthday of our Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, whose passion, vision and raison d'etre is the restoration of the dignity of the African, through intellectual and economic empowerment. My interest in poverty in Africa first started in 1983 while I was doing my PhD at the University of Rome. On a hot summer afternoon a young man met me drinking water from a running tap and he went on to cajole me that I should be thoroughly enjoying it since there was no cool tap water in Africa. Providing running tap water in Nigeria, for example, has remained a mirage in spite of the enormous amount of funds the World Bank has injected into water projects. My interest in poverty in Africa reached its pick some time in 2006 after watching the CNN documentary “Surviving Hunger”. The documentary showed shrunken, bony, hungerstricken Ethiopians, first of all running away from a healthy wellbuilt human being (the reporter) and ultimately scrambling to eat small pieces of green grass.
KATENDE, J (2021). Globalization, Energy, Education And Poverty Alleviation: Prospects & Challenges For Developing Nations. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/globalization-energy-education-and-poverty-alleviation-prospects-challenges-for-developing-nations
KATENDE, JAMES "Globalization, Energy, Education And Poverty Alleviation: Prospects & Challenges For Developing Nations" Afribary. Afribary, 19 May. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/globalization-energy-education-and-poverty-alleviation-prospects-challenges-for-developing-nations. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
KATENDE, JAMES . "Globalization, Energy, Education And Poverty Alleviation: Prospects & Challenges For Developing Nations". Afribary, Afribary, 19 May. 2021. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/globalization-energy-education-and-poverty-alleviation-prospects-challenges-for-developing-nations >.
KATENDE, JAMES . "Globalization, Energy, Education And Poverty Alleviation: Prospects & Challenges For Developing Nations" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 22, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/globalization-energy-education-and-poverty-alleviation-prospects-challenges-for-developing-nations