Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Francis-Xavier Sosu, spoke at the 2024 visiting scholar program at Center College, Danville, Kentucky, and at the University of South, Sewanee, Tennessee, in the United States of America.

As a visiting professor, he had the privilege to speak at convocations on the theme: Championing a Free Fair and Just Society through Human Rights Advocacy: Chronicles of a Lawyer, Legislator and Activist.

He discussed the intersection between law, lawmaking, law enforcement and activism as guides of social advancement and how his background as a street child, adopted into an orphanage and becoming a lawyer inspired his human rights practice and how he translated human rights activism into legislative intervention.

The legislator took time to discuss the 17 private member bills he has initiated, some by himself alone and others with colleagues. The lecture also discussed the three Bills passed and the one that has presidential assent to abolish the death penalty under the Criminal Offenses Act.

of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Francis-Xavier Sosu at 2024 visiting scholar program

He also delivered lectures in several classes on the topic "The nexus between Servant Leadership, Good Governance, and Development."

Mr Francis-Xavier emphasised that servant leadership is the best model to guarantee good governance principles because it assures and ensures "accountability, openness, and independence of state institutions" thereby "propelling inclusive development where everyone, regardless of their backgrounds, can fully achieve their individual potential."

Sharing his views on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework, the Madina MP asserted that in order for informal economies to be successfully incorporated, governments need to ensure transparency, fairness, and adherence to the rule of law in their policies and practices.

This presentation was inspired by his doctoral thesis in the area of international economic law, with an emphasis on regional integration laws.

He poked about the need for Africa to take a step back to harmonize its regional integration efforts as an aid to the AfCFTA Agreement to achieve economic integration and discussed the new conceptual framework for integration in Africa that he has developed.

"Under this conceptual framework, the regional economic communities recognized by the AU must be harmonized under the AFCFTA, and the AFCFTA must have a supranational status. Informal economies must be incorporated under the AfCFTA and there must be political accountability and commitment to ensure this model succeeds for Africa to integrate economically," he said.

of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Francis-Xavier Sosu at 2024 visiting scholar program

Mr Sosu warned Africa against potential economic globalization by China and the urgent need for African leaders to embrace this new AFCFTA conceptual model to accelerate Africa’s economic integration and transformation.

The Madina legislator ended the day by spending time with students and faculty members to interact and discuss Ghana as the leading democracy in Africa. This gave him the opportunity to sell Ghana to most students who have signed up to study abroad in Ghana this fall and in the fall of 2025.

He also had opportunities to discuss the possibilities for Ghanaian students, particularly those from the Madina Constituency, to take advantage of the exchange programs to study at the two colleges.