Uganda, March 5 -- Nearly 60 years ago, our founding fathers, led by Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Haile Selassie, Milton Obote, and other independence African leaders, met in Addis Ababa for the very first Organisation of African Unity (predecessor of the African Union) Heads of State Summit.

The May 1963 declarations from the summit envisioned a better future for the African continent, free from poverty, disease, hunger, and malnutrition.

Over the years, these declarations were never prioritized. Slowly, the promises evolved into aspirations, transformed into dreams, and are now almost forgotten as the quality of life for most Africans has stagnated despite self-governance.

As the new generation of African leaders convenes in Addis ...