Challenges and Way forward Retreat

Venue: Olumo Rock/ King’s Palace Hotel. Abeokuta. Nigeria

History was made on the 14th-15th December, 2011 as 40 pro-liberty student leaders from institutions of higher learning in South-West Nigeria gathered for the first African Liberty Students’ Organization’s Regional Leadership Retreat to discuss the ”Challenges and the way forward” in the promotion of classical liberal thoughts on their respective campuses.

Student Leaders in attendance were from the
University of Ibadan;
University of Lagos;
Lagos State University;
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic;
Olabisi Onabanjo University;
Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta;
Crescent University Abeokuta;
Federal College of Education Abeokuta;
Ekiti State University;
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and
Petroleum Technology Institute

African Liberty Students’ Organization (ALSO) is a leading pro-liberty student movement present in several institutions on the continent of Africa. The retreat provided the student leaders the opportunity to discuss and deliberate on how to tackle some of the challenges they encounter promoting free markets, individual liberty, and globalization as well as other libertarian ideals on their respective campuses.

The event kicked-off at the historical Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, where the student leaders went sightseeing and networking with themselves. The symposium proper took place at Kings Palace Hotel, Abeokuta, where they deliberated on best practices and strategies in spreading libertarian on their respective campuses.

The students rubbed minds while also tabling respective local challenges in their various institutions. Adedayo Thomas, Publisher and Director of Outreach of AfricanLiberty.org took time to share strategies in promoting liberty with the student leaders from his vast experience promoting and engaging with governments and school administration on the continent of Africa.

Most challenges identified by students promoting libertarian ideals are the obstacles posed by Marxist and statist scholars in the institutions of higher learning. Others include repression by school administrations through various bureaucratic bottlenecks in approving the establishment of ALSO. Limited resources to organize events are also some of the hindrances faced by members. New members during orientation also need reading simple materials that can open their minds to the reality of life as posed by libertarianism. A member of the ALSO Federal College of Education chapter had this to say about the challenges faced by his chapter “the school administration sometime stifles our efforts; the idea of limited government is just repulsive to government, even school governments”.

The event also provided participants with books such as the Morality of Capitalism published by Students for Liberty (SFL), the strategic Umbrella of ALSO in the cause of promoting liberty. The Ideas for a free society CD by Network for a Free Society, which contains one hundred texts that will help in the understanding of libertarian thought, was also made available to the student leaders.

At the Kings Palace Hotel refreshments and meals were served .It was pretty difficult in singling out the best groover after deliberations as the ordinarily cerebral students showed their social side as they took to the dance floor in tune to the music supplied by the DJ’s, who themselves were ALSO student leaders.

The retreat ended with the resolve to strengthen partnerships amongst themselves and leverage on what they learnt for effective promotion of liberty in the coming year. Gbemisola Osadua from the ALSO University of Ibadan chapter had this to say about the event,

“the ALSO regional leadership retreat was indeed a paradigm shift for me as it was able to trigger in me the passion to secure Africa’s liberty. I am committed to promoting especially political and economic liberty in Africa.”

It was therefore resolved that a rotational monthly liberty event must hold in any of the South West institution starting from the year 2012. There is no doubt the 2012 will be a big one for African Students For Liberty