Former prime minister and ambassador Tertus Zongo and L. O. Oulon, president of ABPEC
Students and alumni during the conference
Former Burkinabe Prime Minister gives a conference on Leadership and the Role of the Youth
Ouagadougou—Burkina Faso. Former Burkinabe Prime Minister and Former Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the United States, Tertius Zongo, shared his experience as a leader with some 200 university students on Saturday, January 14, 2012, as part of a speaker series on Leadership and the Role of Youth in the Development of Burkina Faso sponsored by the Association of Beneficiaries of Cultural and Exchange Programs between the United States and Burkina Faso (ABPEC/US-BF).
Zongo encouraged students to have confidence in themselves, to educate themselves, and to set goals for their lives. This “Yes, you can” message to youth was reinforced with anecdotes from Zongo’s own experiences as Ambassador to the United States and as Prime Minister. He also suggested the U.S. education system was a model for universities in Burkina Faso to follow. He concluded by saying that students should build a “winning soul” within themselves by being more self-confident and entrepreneurial. This attitude and approach, he said, would have a positive impact on the development of Burkina Faso.
After concluding his remarks, Zongo managed a lively Q&A session in which he did not shy away from even the toughest questions about his experiences as Prime Minister.