The African Students For Liberty (ASFL), a branch of the global network of organisations under the umbrella, Students For Liberty (SFL), recently held its second annual conference, with the theme ‘Understanding Individual Freedom’, which centres on knowledge, expertise and active engagement with the youths. The goal, according to the organisers, is to share and contribute to the depth and breadth of development of the youth.

Put together to inspire students across Africa, the Washington-based nonprofit organization (NGO) has a mission to provide a unified, student-driven forum to support students and student-organisations dedicated to human rights, social, intellectual, individual and economic liberties around the world.

The two-day conference, which was held at the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan, had gathered more than 600 students within Nigeria and few countries in Africa, from Kenya, Ghana, among others.

In his remarks, the organisation’s African Programme’s Manager, Mr. Olumayowa Okediran, said the conference was borne out of the fact that Africa has been faced with myriad of problems which are affecting the youth negatively.

“Africa has been a case of charity for too long. But the narrative has been about a continent so poor that it cannot by itself break free from the shackles of poverty. It has been about a continent struck with the pestilence of corruption and horrendous economic situations,” he said.

During the conference, participants were, however, opportuned to hear from top speakers in the freedom movement, network with other pro-liberty students, discover countless opportunities for jobs, internships, conferences and seminars.

Among the speakers featured at the conference were Japheth Omojuwa, blogger and activist; Alexander McCobin, president, SFL International (USA); Calvin Burgess, Founder and CEO, Dominion Group and Dominion Farms Kenya; Dr Wale Okediran, former member, Nigerian Representatives and author, Tenants of the House.

Alexander McCobin, a co-founder of Students For Liberty and Executive Director of the organisation, while speaking with NEWS EXPRESS Correspondent, said: "We look forward to an exciting and successful
sessions deliberating on the state of Africa and the role of individual and economic liberty in Africa’s development.”

He added that the organisation is non-partisan, “we are a libertarian movement and we give students platform to network with other pro-liberty students, discover countless opportunities for jobs, internships, conferences and seminars and have a lot of fun while doing this.”

Speaking earlier on students’ expectations from the programme, Omojuwa said that the event was a platform for students to meet with an array of inspiring lectures and build an endless networking with pro-liberty students and young professionals from around the world.\

“It will be an avenue for students to relate with speakers that would speak on entrepreneurship, self-reliance and the respect for the rule of democracy. A lot has been put together to ensure that African students at the conference would be impacted positively,” he posited.

•Photo shows participants at the end of the programme, in Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

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