The big question is how many of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be attain come 2030.
There is no doubt that Africa is still lagging behind in achieving some of the SDGs, and that is thanks to the poor lack of decisive leadership in the continent.
In Heal Our World, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala reminds the readers about the agreed 2015 SDGs that aim to address the socio-economic conditions faced by poor people across the globe and also provides solutions as to how the leaders, in particular African leaders can use opportunities offered by the fourth industrial technologies to eradicate poverty, achieve zero hunger, improve good quality education, health and well-being, and reduction of unemployment as well as deep-seated inequality among others.
The relevance and timing of this book cannot be understated, as it comes at a time where poverty and hunger continue to cause havoc in the world.
Perusing through the pages of this book, I was reminded of how far the continent of Africa is in achieving almost all of the 17 SDGs. Poverty and hunger are still social problems that are still hounding many poor people across the continent. While he shy away from admitting that Africa will certainly miss some if not all the set SDGs, the scribe forces the readers to make that conclusion for themselves.
I was impressed with the fact that the scribe, rather than just lambasting and criticizing African leaders about their slow pace in making sure that the continent edge closer to the 2030 deadline, he, however, provides solutions to them on how they can reach the goals to heal the African people from all these social ills.
In these pages the scribe makes it clear that for Africa to attempt to attain some of the pertinent SDGs, especially the first nine SDGs, there has to be a new type of leadership in the continent that is driven by good governance, technology and innovation. I agree with the scribe regarding the need for a new type of leadership in the continent, because we currently do not possess leaders who have the heart to see the continent reaching the SDGs.
With just a couple of years before the 2030 deadline coupled with an expected population growth in the continent, one just hopes that a new form of leadership will emerge in Africa to push us closer to the goals and set the poor free from poverty and hunger.
This book provides the tools that African leaders must use to heal the continent of poverty, hunger, joblessness, sicknesses etc.
Heal Our World should be on the desk of every African leader, and I would strongly recommend it to all African presidents.