Nigeria: Will the elections be a turning point.

Nigeria is due to hold elections in the next two weeks. It is the closest election in Nigeria's history. This is a time when Nigeria will either make its mark as Africa's preeminent nation, or slide back into a sleeping giant. How the country conducts elections will make or break it. In April 2014, Nigeria became Africa's largest economy, after rebasing to account for previously neglected sectors such as Nollywood and the telecommunications sector. According to a poll by afrobarometer, the two main Presidential candidates, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, are tied at 40 percent, and the election outcome is too close to call. According to former US assistant secretary for African affairs Johnnie Carson, Nigeria is faced with three main problems. One, the cascading violence in the north east, the close elections in mid February, and the drop in oil prices. Even if these problems are huge, they can still be surmounted, and make Nigeria take its place in the league of nations.

This is the point to be optimistic about the Nigerian story. According to writer Amy Chua, author of the Triple Package, a book that highlights why some groups of people are successful, the writer mentions that Nigerian Americans are some of the most successful groups in the United States. If Nigerians abroad are succeeding, then the Nigerian election should be one step in which the country strives to provide opportunities to its young and upcoming politicians. A

Africa's Young are ready to take up leadership, but they need patience.

Kofi Annan

The challenge for Africa has always been a leadership crisis in the continent. There has never been a better time for the young in Africa to take up leadership positions, and endear themselves to the electorate. Africa is the world's youngest continent, and its average age is just 19 years. The continent boasts of  a rapidly expanding middle class that is widely exposed and ready to steer the Africa to the next direction. But how can the Africa's young make sure that they do take up leadership positions in the continent?

The young in Africa have never been at a poignant position to effect change. The Arab Spring in North Africa and the Middle East showed just a small group of disenfranchised youths bring down whole governments. However, for the youth to succeed, they must realize that their time to be Africa's leaders is now and not tomorrow. They must seek a civil means of engagement so that they can exert their huge numbers to effect change. While the concept of leadership has often been synonymous with old age in Africa, this is beginning to change. There are more young Africans coming up through the ranks, especially in the business sector. If young Africans such as MTN's RS Dabengwa are controlling billions of dollars in investments, how come they cannot be trusted with political leadership? If shareholders are entrusting Africa's young with billions of dollars in wealth, how come Africa's politicians are unable to do so.

However, age alone is not a predictor of leadership. Therefore, young Africans will have to be mentored, and stay in the right atmosphere for them to develop their leadership potential. Too often, many voters are skeptical since they can't differentiate between the younger leaders and the older leaders. In deed, some young leaders in the continent have engaged in the same looting as the older leaders. To such voters, there is nothing that necessarily indicates that the younger leaders are better than the older leaders.

Even though these allegations are well meaning and founded on facts, there are some very vocal young leaders whose voices have been buried deep in the clutter of noise. There are silent change makers in the continent who are continuing to do great things with absolutely no recognition. It is such leaders that we must identify and nurture. Too often, we have tended to silence these lone voices, and its time that we changed our approach to them, encouraged them, and gave them the proper tools for them to succeed as young leaders. After all, we would all benefit from a youthful leadership that is capable of creating a peaceful and prosperous continent, a continent that will be able to rise above the abyss of misrule, and safely enter the league of well governed states and regions.

Africa's Problem is a Crisis in Leadership.

Nelson Mandela

Many African countries gained independence in the 1960s. And yet, 50 years later, the continent still grapples with the same issues it encumbered at the time of independence. War, disease, and poverty are still very much widespread throughout Africa. Even the so called African success story countries have not been global players as yet. Countries such as Botswana, Mauritius, and Rwanda, though continental success stories, have not still made it to the top globally. Many countries came up with vision and mission statements in order to project their global goal. However, the vision and mission goals were quickly discarded as the due dates approached.

True, the continent is growing, but one has to ask whether this growth will lift all tides with it, or will it merely be a pipe dream that will be extinguished as fast as it arises? The continet's main problem is a crisis in leadership. Once the continent fixes its leadership problems, then it will be in a pilot position to take its rightful place in the world. Africa is the most unstable continent in the world. It comes to the global table as a late comer, and even then, it only gets the food crumbs, after everyone else has eaten. Some will want to say that Africa was at the same level of development as the so called Asian Tigers, but those countries are so far ahead at present that one would not even believe that they were nearly at the same stage in the 1960s.

Every year, thousands of African youngsters routinely die trying to cross the Mediterranean, so that they can get a better life abroad. The images of Europe as a land of milk and honey only serve to reinforce the urge by Africa's youngsters that there fortunes will be better abroad. The youngsters are leaving because there are no jobs, because they see no chance of making it in their home country. They are leaving because Europe assures them of hope.

Africa then must fix its leadership. It must get transformational leaders who will be able to diagnose the continent's problems, and propose relevant solutions. This will require that the continent first of all creates the right structures to identify able and capable leaders. The parties must be ideological, rather than tribal based. Equally, elections must be peaceful, as too often, investors flee at the time of elections. The more the elections are close, the greater the potential for violence.

While the current growth rates are indeed laudable, even inspirational, the only true safeguard for Africa will be an assurance of a forward thinking leadership. Everything else will not amount to much.

Laptops will improve learning in African schools, but caution must be taken.

Its a raging debate in many African countries. Should we provide primary school children in African schools with laptops? Will laptops help to improve the literacy skills of African students. In a number of countries such as Namibia, Kenya, and Rwanda, there are already some programs that have been rolled out to provide students with laptops. There could be several pitfalls to this.

First of all, many students in Africa lack access to basic things such as food, books, and clothing. How can African schools be at the forefront of providing laptops, and yet, the students are lacking the basic aids to learning? What needs to happen then is that schools should first ensure that they have the requisite infrastructure in place. Schools will have to be connected to the national grid. Many schools lack access to electricity, and this makes it even harder to ensure that the laptops are used efficiently.

Crucially, the development of curriculum is another aspect that will have to be looked into. Currently, multinational companies are installing content in these educational devices, ensuring some kind of educational colonialism takes place. This is one of the reasons why many governments and education policy makers are resisting the the adoption of laptops. What's more, teachers need to be trained afresh, as the teachers are currently not trained in computers. There will have to be a new skills acquisition by teachers in our schools, and this will ensure that teachers are abreast with today's development.

It would be important that laptops not act as the panacea to all the ills that encumber the African education systems. We could for instance start with a laboratory with a few computers, even as we empower teachers and build more classrooms and laboratories. This will be the only way to ensure that when the right time for laptops comes, the schools will be prepared to adopt the laptops, and use them to be globally competitive in the 21st century. Even as we adopt the use of laptops in African schools, we should not forget that teachers are still indispensable in this new educational system, and they must be part and parcel of the whole process.

Africa has to Model its own Form of Democracy for it to Develop.

Some African leaders view China as a place where they could borrow lots of ideas, especially on how to develop their country from a third world to a developed country in just a generation. In the last 30 years, China has lifted more than 300 million people from poverty, and the country is now looked both as a friend and a threat as it looks to expand its global hegemony. In Africa, China has gobbled up mineral resources, and continues to look for raw materials to power its industries. One question though that China has taught many African countries is the need for stability. China has prioritized stability as the basis for economic growth, and it is no wonder the country has grown double digits in the last thirty years or so. As Africa experiments with democracy in its various forms, it would have to know that democracy is a painful process, that takes one step at a time, and building nations is also equally a slow and painful process. 

According to Silicon Africa, a think tank that seeks to advance Africa’s agenda, ‘An African student in China asked his professor the following question: “Why isn’t China doing anything to change his image abroad, as most of the things people say about China are not true”.
The professor paused, smiled, and with a sterling contempt replied “China doesn’t give a damn”. Then continued “it took us 30 years to build our country, while it took over 400 years for Western countries to reach the same level of development.
The most important thing for China now is stability, so we can focus on our development. That’s the stage where we are.

We are well aware of all the various human freedoms available under other suns, and we desire to have them here in China, and we are confident that in time we will have the same freedoms here in China. However, for now, at the stage where we are, we need stability to continue our development.”
Indeed, knowing the kind of political organisation a country needs at particular time in its history is very critical for that country’s stability and prosperity.” Silicon Africa concludes. 
For Africa then, it would have to balance between stability and democracy in order to grow rapidly.

2015 General Elections: Nigeria Youths- The Weapon.

T

here is so much tension in the air. There are too many negative utterances concerning the forthcoming general elections. People and parties and organizations are spreading fear all over the land as if something more than the elections is coming. And each time I reflect on this, I see the youths at the centre of this supposedly utterance war; coming in contact every single day (these days) on the front pages of the national dailies and on all other Medias.

Individuals, parties and organizations are going into various archives to bring to light again, captions and pictures that portrait the ‘good’ or the ‘evil’ of some individuals vying for one political office or the other, especially the presidential office. On the front page of the Punch News Paper dated Monday, January 19, 2015, it stands written in bold and with different colours: NIGERIANS BE WARDNED! NIGERIA …” I have set before thee LIFE & DEATH. Therefore, choose LIFE that both thee and thy seed may LIVE.” Deut 30 vs 19. In the above mentioned daily, precisely on page 9, it states: JOBS IN LAGOS PROVIDE FOR MILLIONS OF NIGERIANS. WE CANNOT LEAVE THE FATE OF MILLIONS TO AN INEXPERIENCE LEADER …”

I cannot see reason why there should be so much ‘insults’ between interested politicians, their parties or their friend-organizations with the view of wining ‘followers’. I cannot bring myself to ‘follow’ someone who uses insulting and degrading words, in the aim of gaining my trust. I prefer to follow someone who gives his/her opinions on bringing lasting solutions the country’s socio-economic problems. I desire to follow anyone who respects the opinion of the other party, who see the other person as mortal who is capable of doing ‘wrong’ today and becoming ‘better’ tomorrow, and not judging today because of yesterday.

In all of these, I see the youth of the country as the tool and weapon that can be use to either bring lasting solution or continue to cause havoc in the society. I see the youths as the only available weapons of mass growth or mass destruction. I see the youths as the easily-reached tool and weapon employed by these ‘insulting individuals and parties and organizations.’ I see the youths that do not know what way to follow, where to make a bold U-turn, and when to stop completely on the track that has not been leading to growth and development, falling prey to desperate politicians, where they are use as ‘weapon to create ‘un-peaceful nation’. 

I desire to refer every young person in this country and around the world to the book of Prophet Isaiah chapter two verses two to five (Isaiah 2:2-5), where the Scripture holds (in paraphrasing) that: In these days of unrest, these days when there is fear everywhere you turn, days when politicians chose to ‘insult’ themselves to show us they love us and want to lead us, days when there are so many homeless people in their own father’s land, days when the leaders forget to ‘fight’ for the people, and were ‘fighting’ to gain power by all means; the only place nations like Nigeria and its people should go is the hill of the Lord, where He will teach us what to do to bring sanity again to the land. It is only God that will settle dispute among great nations, only God can make us hammer our guns and explosives and looting and corruption, into plough and peace and economic growth. It is only God, who from the beginning of creation made great plans for us all that can bring His original plans back into existence in the life of our world, nations and as individuals. Returning to Him on His holy mountain does not mean going up one mountain or going into one Church; it is simply, going to him with your heart-personally knowing Him and His plans and purposes. 

To kill and loot and destroy and rig during election is never the plan and purpose of God for us. The youths must not allow themselves to be used to achieve evil. They should be creative in their thinking and create solutions to the problems we are facing; which will obviously need the creative power of everyone, contributing his/her quota of positive and creative thoughts, to the green-and-white bowl that needs to be filled great minds and ideas to achieve lasting peace and rapid development. And the only true source of such minds and ideas and innovation is God. He alone can give the kind of wisdom we individually need to move our beloved country to the next level of positive growth and development in every sector of the economy.

The 2015 general election is meant to ‘change’ occupants of the various political offices, and not to cause fear and panic and unnecessary anxiety among the people. It is a period of evaluating the ‘present’ occupants of the offices and reaching a reasonable decision to either keep them in the office or seek another mind to transform the office and perform better; even those occupying the office at present and seeking re-election, should only be encourage to ‘do better’ than the term that is passing. That they were or are bad today does not mean they can't be better tomorrow. I therefore see no reason why there should be ‘sounds of war’ and ‘insulting’ utterances coming from those that the graving to be our leaders. I believe they should be more gentle and kind with words; driving their points home in peaceful co-existence rather than with violence and insults and destruction. 

 Nigeria youths must be awakening to the fact that the ‘future’ starts right now. Individuals must make deliberate effort to change the mind-set of ‘unless we get money from you, we won’t vote you in.’ Once someone gives you money and got your vote, s/he will ‘steal’ the money given to you at first before thinking of doing anything for the community or the country. The days of ‘stomach infrastructure’ is gone with the wind of ignorance. The wind of positive change has come, and it’s blowing everywhere, seeking great minds to fill and inspire and motivate. And this wind can only enter an individual or group who is open to creative and positive thought pattern, it will come to those who connect back to the Source of Power, where creativity started, where peaceful co-existence has it firm root, and where everything was declared ‘GOOD’; and that Source is GOD.

Youths must therefore embrace and inhale this wind of change and see a brighter future ahead. Youths should be leaders of today and of tomorrow; because unless one is firm and positive in his/her decision making now, tomorrow might not even come for that person to make any meaningful decision to lasting and positive change in the society. Unless the youths see that the future of this nation lies in their hands, they will stay ‘calm’ and ‘mute’ to the happening in the land. 

The troubles of today are ‘fruits’ that grew from the ‘trees’ of decisions ‘planted’ in the past. But we should know, that the land still remain the same – Nigeria, and the soils (us) are still fertile, with willing hearts to produce better crops if given better seeds. We must therefore understand the terms of the farmer to be able to cultivate the land and plant good seeds and expect great harvest in the future that is not too far away. To keep repeating the ugly term that: This is Nigeria, nothing good can come out”, or again. “This is Nigeria, where anything goes,” will do us no good; will not bring about any change in the current trend of backwardness and corruption and sufferings and pains and fears. Because if we continue repeating the believe system or attitude of those who where here before us, if we continue walking in the shoes of those who made the decisions that are affecting us today, without making creative effort to change ourselves and our attitude, we shall continue to remain perpetually in the same state, and continuously ‘suffering and smiling’.

Today, it doesn’t matter anymore who made the decisions that are bringing us pains and sufferings and hunger and poverty and unemployment. Some of those that made the decisions years ago are still alive and are making every effort to ‘come-back’ into our ‘farm land’ to either plant ‘better seeds’ or yet another ‘un-fruitful’ seed. Today, some of those who made the terrible decisions that are affecting us negatively are dead, but their ‘seeds’ are making drastic effort, either to come complete the ‘evil’ work of their father, or to continue the ‘good’ work of their father, and or, to right the wrong done by their father.

Today again, the mantel of ‘leadership’ has been given to us, where we are face with the opportunity and challenge to correct the wrongs of yesterday, to make conscious effort towards making the right choice of choosing  who should ‘drive’ the vehicle leading to the Nigeria of our dream; the Nigeria where our children and children’s children will have the liberty of attending good schools, have quality health facilities, grow in an environment where creativity and positive attitude will help them become wish men and women.

History is not meant to make us cry all the time. History is meant to be a guide, helping us to know where we are coming from, where we are and where we should make effort to go-the right direction. We must allow the times of the pass to guide us to the future, not by being angry with it or those who where in it, but by studying it and applying its disciplined instructions towards attaining positive growth and development.

Youths must be weapon of positive, lasting change and not destruction, violence and corruption!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

EDOKA PETER-PAUL is a Writer, Motivational Speaker, Marriage/Relationship Counselor, Career Adviser, Business Developer, Founder of Pillarious Foundation and President of MayDec Incorporation. He has BA (Hons.) in Philosophy from SS Peter and Paul Catholic Major Seminary, Bodija-Ibadan, an affiliate of the University of Ibadan, all in Oyo State, Nigeria. He is married to Juliana Peter-Paul and the marriage has been blessed with a son-Edoka Owoicho-Oche Moel.

Author’s Contacts: www.edokapeterpaul.blogspot.com

                                 Email: edokapeterpaul@gmail.com

                                 Facebook: www.facebook.com/Edoka Peter-Paul

                                 Twitter: @EdokaPeterPaul

                                WhatsApp: +2348026111406

          Phone: 07065857965                

Mobile Commerce could Power Africa's next Growth Cycle.

The internet commerce has not quite picked up in Africa. The legacy system of the banks, and the lack of access to credit cards are just some of the reasons why e-commerce has not quite picked up in Africa. And yet, the continent could be sitting on the cusp of a revolution. Consider that Africans own 600 million mobile phones, 100 million of which are smartphones. This means that there has never been a better time to launch mobile based applications.

The mobile money transfer market is easily the most ubiquitous mobile application. The money transfer service grew because of an unmet need. There was a need for banking services, which was not being provided by the traditional banks. In Kenya, the MPESA service has been the most widespread service. In the year 2013, $20 billion was transacted through the service. Most of all, the micro transfer service helped to launch many other related businesses. For example, musicians now use the service to enable their fans download music at a fraction of the cost of buying an album. In a country where piracy is rife, this couldn't be better, as it enables musicians to earn some income from their hard work.

There are other mobile applications that have indeed been helpful. For example, MFarm is a service which enables farmers to get timely updates of the prices of goods and services, and in the process, the farmers are able to cut out the middlemen. The service charges users a small fee for inquiring about the products of goods and services.

Going forward, we should expect more mobile applications to be rolled out. According to IBM's Africa chief scientist Uyi Stewart, what will be needed will be a need to solve problems that afflict Africans immediately. Mr. Stewart advises that African innovators should start from the end in mind, and then work backwards towards creating sustainable business solutions to solve those problems. If more African innovators follow this route, then mobile commerce could indeed power on the next wave of growth for the continent.

Africa is growing, but who is benefitting.

Teodoro Obiang:

Africa is home to six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world. It is the second fastest growing region in the world. And yet, even with all these amazing statistics, Africa still remains the world's poorest continent. It appears that Africa is growing yes, only that the fruits of growth are not percolating down to the grassroots. There is a growing inequality in the continent.

For example, three years ago, a widely cited report noted that for every 56 shillings that a rich Kenyan was making, a poor Kenyan was making just one shilling. This shows that the rich make 56 times more than the poor. If we could use Kenya as a case study, then the continent is really one of the places with the highest inequalities in the world. Ventures Magazine projects that the number of African billionaires is rising, and puts the number at more than 50. On the other hand, Forbes magazine estimates that the number of dollar billionaires in Africa could equal that of Latin America.

What's more, many of the continent's richest hide their wealth in safe tax havens, where the wealth cannot be traced. According to a BBC assignment report in 2012, Equatorial Guinea is supposed to be at par with Great Britain on paper. Its per capita income is $34,000, making it one of the richest countries in the world. And yet, the wealth is concentrated in just a few hands. The country's President, Teodoro Obiang, has silenced opposition voices, and his son owns hotels in France and has several luxury yatchs. What's even worrying was that this siphoning off of the country's wealth took place with the help of Western banks and multinationals.

Africa is growing at break neck speeds no doubt. For it to claim the 21st century, it will have to ensure that just as it encourages growth, it will also have to encourage the spread of this growth. It cannot be that only a tiny elite benefit from Africa's huge resources. Otherwise, the growth will feel very hollow, and will consign Africa to its perennial place as the world's poster child for poverty in the midst of plenty.

It's time to make Africa's minerals a blessing.

Petroleum mine

How best can Africa use its minerals. The continent has an abundant mineral supply. But its often caught in the so called paradox of plenty, or the mineral curse. For example, even though Nigeria has plenty of oil, power blackouts are still rampant. Even though DR Congo has plenty of coltan, which is used in the making of mobile phones and laptops, most of its residents cannot afford the basic mobile phones and cannot partake in the information revolution. One way that Africa can develop is to ensure that it negotiates favorable terms for its mineral resources. In this, its often been said that the huge obstacle is not even the lack of finances, it is the lack of  human capital in the minerals field. For example, most of the contract in negotiations goes to foreign law firms, as there are not many African lawyers with the expertise to negotiate the complex mineral contracts.

We could create a fund similar to what countries like Botswana have done. Botswana has used the mineral resources, especially from diamond, to improve the public infrastructure for the country. Even though the country was severely ravaged by AIDs, the infection rates have gone down as a result of the investments in the health sector from the diamond proceeds. Crucially, Botswana continues to attract teachers and doctors from the rest of Africa and the world, and the country is one of the few countries in the world to have a budget surplus. Its former President, Festus Mogae, was awarded the Mo Ibrahim leadership prize because of his exemplary leadership, his commitment to democracy and human rights, and for using the proceeds from the diamonds to grow a prosperous Botswana economy.

Norway is another example. It is estimated that Norway has a sovereign wealth fund that could total at least $100,000 per each citizen, this is all thanks to the way the country has been able to make use of its mineral resources. Another country we could adopt from is United Arab Emirates (UAE), known for its tourism. Realizing that oil would run out in the next thirty years, the UAE government sought to increase the amount of investments in other sectors, and today, its flagship city- Dubai, is known for tourism, finance, amongst other economic pursuits. The mineral resources in Africa are not limitless. They will run out one day. Its time that African countries were able to adopt firm measures that would see the countries benefit from the vast mineral resources.

It's time to make the abundant minerals in Africa to be a blessing rather than a curse. I believe that it can be done.

Top Quality University Education will unlock Africa's Potential.

Education is one of the most important aspects of a nation's well being. And yet, there has been a raging debate on what mode of education that Africa should adopt. The World Bank and other multilateral institutions continue to insist that Africa needs basic education in order to develop. However, evidence is emerging that the continent also needs a strong higher education system. How can education policy makers in the continent merge the two?

At Africa Shine, we believe that there has been too much focus on basic education to the detriment of higher education. Almost all the donor funding is concentrated on basic education, while leaving out the higher education sector. According to statistics, there are between 3 million and 5 million college and university graduates in Africa every year. This number is comparable to the number of graduates churned by Indian and Chinese Universities. However, the quality of graduates leaves a lot of desired. Rote learning is still the order of the day, and creativity and innovation is not encouraged.

While African universities have fared better in teaching, they have not been as steadfast in research. According to the webometrics ranking of universities, few African universities rank in the top 500 in the world. These universities tend to be concentrated in South Africa and Egypt. The impact that a great university can have on a community is immeasurable. For instance, according to the kauffman foundation, a think tank that seeks to promote entrepreneurship, the value of companies created or co-created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alumni is about a trillion dollars. If these companies were an isolated country, they would be the seventeenth largest economy in the world. What's more, the jobs benefit the local Massachusetts economy. The report details that fewer than ten percent of the MIT students are drawn from Massachusetts, and yet, more than 30 percent choose to remain behind in Massachusetts and start their companies.

We therefore need to create lots of first class universities in Africa, and avail them with funds to enable them compete in the 21st century. A number of schools are already attempting that. For instance, Ghanaian Patrick Awuah left Ghana as a teenager to attend Swarthmore University in the United States. He later went to work for Microsoft, becoming one of the thousands of millionaires churned out by Microsoft. He later went on to get an MBA from UC Berkely, and proceeded to establish Aseshi University in Accra, Ghana. The university draws from local and foreign students, and emphasizes a liberal Arts curriculum. Mr. Awuah believes that the university is training the next generation of African leaders.

In South Africa, there is another school, the African leadership Academy- ALA. The school is a college preparatory school that teaches African studies, Leadership, and entrepreneurship. Its students are drawn from Africa and beyond, and it has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the world. The school hopes that the students from the school will be placed in leading colleges and universities in the world, from where they will come back and help rebuild Africa.

As these examples show, there are efforts underway by various stakeholders to develop the African education system. What's needed is a full proof system that ensures that Africa's best and brightest are taught the right curriculum that will help them advance in the 21st century. What must not be forgotten is that in today's world, ideas are the new capital, and it would be important that Africa's education systems realize this.

Africa Needs Both Economic Growth and Stability.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Africa is on the brink of takeoff. It is the second fastest growing region in the world. It is home to six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world. There are more mineral resources that are being discovered, and hopefully, if the proceeds from these minerals are used well, then the continent will get handsome rewards from the minerals discovered. However, one challenge that remains for the continent is how to make it more stable politically. True, there is some progress that is being made. For example, last year, elections in seven countries were peaceful. However, there were also a number of instabilities in the continent. There was a near coup in The Gambia. There was a coup in Burkina Faso. There were still instabilities in South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. So, even as the economies of Africa are growing, there are still some pretty delicate situations politically.

Crucially, which model of development should African countries adopt. Should they choose a model which emphasizes economic growth, or a model which emphasizes stability. Countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia are growing at break neck speeds. There growth rates are more than 7 percent. However, the governments of the two countries are also accused of being intolerant to opposition voices and the media. For instance, in Ethiopia, the media freedoms are curtailed, and the country has jailed several journalists who went against the government line. In Rwanda, several opposition voices were silenced, and some even assassinated, as President Paul Kagame tightens his grip on power. These two countries seem to be too happy to follow the Chinese example, where one party rules.

However, economic growth alone can be a detriment to a country. Take the case of Ivory Coast for example. The country was the quintessential successful country. It was literally one of the most successful French colonies in Africa. Its capital city, Abidjan, was the Paris of Africa. The country ticked in all the right boxes. However, after the death of the strongman, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, who led the independence from France in 1960, the country disintegrated. The country only recovered after a peace deal was signed in 2004, allowing some kind of a power sharing deal between the north and the south. 

As the case of Ivory Coast so clearly demonstrates, economic growth alone cannot be the solution to a country's progress. A country has to have both economic growth and stability. Each feeds off the other, and either of them cannot be a panacea to Africa's underdevelopment.

Africa has to rise up and take its place in the world.

Farming could offer the  best chance for Africa's development

Africa is perennially depicted as a place of war, disease, and poverty. It is a continent in constant need of help. To this end, international donors have often viewed Africa as that child in the family who always needs to be helped. Africa only comes to the international agenda when it is in crisis mode. How then can we make the continent move from the periphery of world affairs, and into the center, where it becomes part and parcel of the global conversation?
Africa is rich in mineral resources. It is rich in almost everything that could make a place prosperous, and yet, it is the poorest continent in the world. Picture for example a country like DR Congo, the world's poster child for poverty in the midst of plenty. The country has lots of diamond, copper, uranium, coltan, and many other minerals that you can think of. The mineral coltan is especially important as its used in the making of mobile phones. It has helped in the information revolution of the current generation, and yet, the Congolese citizens themselves cannot afford the mobile phones, tablets, and computers that make the information revolution worthwhile. Let's not even mention The Congo Forest, and the rich agricultural lands in the country. Clearly, this country, the size of Western Europe, should have been at the front seat of development, yet it remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

The continent's young perhaps then offer the best chance for the continent to develop. They are unshackled by the legacies of colonialism, and they are more exposed and outward looking. The continent's young are more educated. According to many publicized reports, the number of college and university graduates in Africa is about 5 million every year. This number is comparable to the Indian and Chinese University graduates. If these young Africans can be equipped with the requisite skills, then they can be innovative, and help to create world beating companies.

For Africa then, the continent should make it easier for people to start businesses. Currently, there are too many licenses that are required to start businesses, and there are too many obstacles that many an African entrepreneur usually faces before they launch their businesses. For one, these entrepreneurs are usually harassed even more than the foreign multinationals.

In that respect then, even as business people create more wealth, corruption levels have to come down. There is a lot of capital flight from Africa, and this doesn't do the continent any justice. It is saddening that this corruption is carried out with the aid of Westerners, further confining Africa to a sea of poverty. In addition to corruption, it must be noted that the continent is still unstable. This is largely as a result of the failure of leadership. In fact, it could be that everything in Africa, as elsewhere in the world, rises and falls on leadership. The correct leadership will enable African democracies to become stable and to flourish, and in the process, create a rich and prosperous continent that will be welcomed to the league of nations as an equal and capable player.

How to make farming count in Africa.

Africa is the second fastest growth region in the world. It is home to six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world. And yet, while the continent is growing at unprecedented rates, there are still key areas that must be dealt with. Even though the continent is experiencing a boom in telecommunications and related services, the best chance for the continent to develop is in agriculture. The continent must ensure that farming practices in the rural areas are enhanced, and small holder farmers have access to the same information as the commercial farmers. Usually, farming has been viewed more as a pastime, and it is time that the continent's farmers thought of agriculture as a form of business.

For farming then to take effect, the issue of land has to be looked at keenly. Land is a sensitive issue in Africa, and it has often led to conflicts. For instance, one of the thorny issues in the Kenyan election violence seven years ago was the issue of land. What's more, title deeds sometimes are meaningless, meaning that farmers can be chased out of their lands at any moment. A culture for respect of property rights has to be
cultivated. What's more, more land is being gobbled up by real estate, especially land that is adjacent to Africa's major cities. Too often, there is easy money to be made in real estate, and many land owners are abandoning farming for real estate. In this regard, it's also time that we made farming to be cool among the young people. The average age of an African farmer is more than 50 years, and this needs to drop if the continent is to expand its farming sector.

In retrospect, it is important that we increase the number of agricultural training officers who will disperse the best farming knowledge to the farmers. This will help farmers adopt the absolute best practice and this will lead to more harvests. Crucially, it is important that we help farmers find the right market for their produce. Currently, many farmers suffer as middlemen take out their produce, and do not compensate them adequately. Coupled with high quality seeds, and constant research into the best farming practices, this should see more farmers increase their incomes, and hopefully, make Africa food secure and prosperous.

Why Entrepreneurs are the future of Africa.

It is important that we realise that politicians alone will not propel the continent forward. In fact, politicians are often the stumbling block to many an entrepreneur, what with the endless demands of bribes and other forms of extortion. Africa's entrepreneurs will be the new wealth creators, and in the process of building their wealth, they will create clean, decent, and rewarding jobs, jobs that Africa's youth desperately need. But for us to encourage an entrepreneurship culture, we will have to make sure that we provide these budding entrepreneurs with the right environment for doing their businesses, avail to them capital, and most of all, ensure that they can be mentored so that their businesses can grow to the next stage. And we do not just
need any sort of businesses, but rather the high growth businesses that will ensure that untold amounts of wealth are created. We don't want to promote too many businesses which are tinkering on failure, but rather have a few successful ones.

Making African Education Count.

Are young African graduates pursuing the careers that would impact the continent in innumerable ways? Which courses do Africa's young need to study in college and universities in order to impact the continent? Africa does not have a shortage of educated people. What it lacks are skilled, passionate, and educated people that will be able to put their ideas to work to realize a better and meaningful life for Africans.

How come the Africans who study abroad go to the same classes with the world's best and brightest and when they come back home, they are subsumed by the very system that they sought to change? Issues such as nepotism and tribalism are rife even among the educated elite in Africa. Is it that our education systems are failing? Or are the values and skills needed to excel in the 21st century simply not taught in our schools. If we
are to make Africa claim the 21st century, then we will have to ensure that we address the value of education that is taught to Africa's young. For example, why is it that the elite take their children to private schools, while the poor have to do with public schools. It's a paradox that even teachers in public schools take their kids to private schools, meaning that they don't believe in the very system that they are in.
Crucially, we have to ensure that Africa's best and brightest are also attracted to the teaching profession. In countries such as South Korea, the best students usually end up as teachers, and teachers are paid some of the highest salaries in the world. We must not leave teaching to be a fall back career, but rather, be a career that is first among equals. That is the only way that Africa's young will be imparted with the right knowledge and skills, and most importantly, with values that will help them compete well in the 21st century, and ultimately, impact Africa in innumerable ways.

The Future of Media in Africa.

The media landscape in Africa is changing in great ways. The print, broadcast, and online platforms are rapidly converging, and this will present serious challenges to the future of media in Africa. To start with, not many countries have safeguarded media freedoms. For example, the world continues to appeal to the Egyptian authorities to release the jailed Al-Jazeera Journalists. The media freedoms in countries such as Ethiopia is also pretty low, and the country in the last few years has jailed dozens of journalists who were opposed to the government. Eritrea and Djibouti are also not high up on the ranking of press freedom in Africa.

However, a new challenge is emerging in that the media freedoms will not be curtailed by the government, but rather by advertisers. The threat from advertisers is pretty real, as the lifeblood of any media house is advertising. In this sense then, public broadcasters could be of great help. Unshackled by the need to

Africa's worst enemies are its Leaders.

For me, everything boils down to leadership. Have African leaders offered the best form of leadership? I don't think so. Many are extending their term in office. Look at the recent riots in DR Congo in which the President wants to extend his stay in office? Up and until we can fix the leadership situation in Africa is when the continent will begin developing in earnest. Let's create a democracy, and build institutions that withstand the test of time. That is the only way we can hope to lift the masses out of poverty, and stop blaming outsiders for Africa's predicament.

Sickle-Education Panacea

A healthy nation they say is a wealthy Nation. The prevalence of diseases in Africa is an obvious factor that has stunted its economic growth for decades.   An example is the prevalence of sickle cell diseases on the African continent.  Sickle cell disorder is by far the commonest inherited disorder in the world and three quarters of cases occur in Africa. It is estimated that the Sickle Cell Disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 Americans, occurs among about 1 out of every 36,000 Hispanic-American births, while SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 500 Black or African-American births. In Nigeria, where it affects two out of every hundred children born, it causes suffering for innumerable patients and their families. Statistics revealed that about 68% of children die at age 0 – 3years and due to delicate nature of the male child, many male child die between this stage while four out of every five survival tends to be a female child, thus, making girls and women major sufferers of the sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disorder is an inherited haemoglobin disorder comprising sickle cell anaemia (Hb SS) and some less prevalent but related conditions such as sickle haemoglobin C disorder (Hb SC) and sickle beta thalassaemia (Hb SBthal). The genes for these conditions arose by mutation but proliferated in

How Best to Develop Talent in Africa.

How can we promote talents of African youth? Our education system is geared too much towards academics, and we don't support the development of the arts. It is important that talent identification start early on if we hope to grow faster. While academics is no doubt important, it is even more important that we align each students needs with the areas where they are most gifted in. While a musician such as Alicia Keys starts practicing piano at the age of 4, African talented kids wait till they have finished high school or university before they can start utilising their talents. As African football stars have shown us, there is indeed great money to be made in supporting extra curricular activities. For instance, a player such as Ivory Coasts yaya Toure makes more money than is enough to run his local league, all thanks to his talents in football that see him ply his trade in Manchester City, England.

Then there is a story of a Malawian teenager, William Kamkwamba, who helped develop a wind turbine after lacking school fees to go to high school. Luckily, his story was picked up by the Malawian press, and he was admitted to the African leadership Academy- ALA, from where he went to Dartmouth College. As I

What's the Agenda for Africa in Davos.

Africa is growing in leaps and bounds. What exactly should set the agenda for Africa in Davos? At Africa Shine, here are the issues we believe should be covered at Davos in regards to Africa.

1. Stability and Democracy
Democracy is taking hold in Africa, but it needs to be strengthened. There needs to be more peaceful elections and less military coups. In the last year alone, there were seven peaceful elections. However, there were also coups or near coups in several African countries. For instance, the coup in Burkina Faso and the near coup in The Gambia shaved off some of the light in regards to stability and democracy in Africa.

2. Business and Economic Growth.
The environment for business in Africa needs to be improved. In the World Bank ease of doing business index, many countries in Africa do not rank as great places to do business. Only Mauritius, Botswana, and Rwanda rank high up in the list, and admittedly, many countries must do more to improve the climate of

Nine Steps to Make Africa Food Secure.

By Koffi Annan.
Leaders meeting in Davos this week are confronted with some critical challenges. One of them is how to realise the bright prospects of African agriculture.

Investment in this sector has doubled in the past decade as governments recognise the crucial importance of agriculture to the well-being of the people, social stability, and economic growth.

Yet for all the progress in recent years, hunger remains widespread and Africa is the only continent which cannot feed itself.

It is hard to understand how the continent, with 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, still

5 Investment Opportunities that will create African millionaires in 2015.

There are many business and investment opportunities in Africa. The opportunities are limitless, literally. However, at Africa Shine, we believe that you could create opportunities in these five broad areas. In no particular order, these goldmine areas are:

1. Media and Content
The search for informative and entertaining content is on, and whoever will provide us with content that is vital, even entertaining will reap in big. The media and film industry, as well as all the content development people will thus set to reap in big.

2. Agribusiness
Food will be the new gold in this century. If you are a farmer, it is that time to think of farming as a form of business, and you will reap big. Food prices are increasing as food sources become scarce. What's more, consumers are paying more attention to the quality of food, and farmers that practice the highest quality of

How to select a Career

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions we'll ever make in our lives. After all, its what we'll spend our adult lives doing. So, how exactly should you choose a career that is best for you? First of all, you should choose a career that is according to your passions. This is what you love doing, and are talented in it. Secondly, you should choose a career according to your abilities. Even if you are passionate about something, but are not talented in it, then your efforts will amount to naught. Thirdly, you should choose a career based on the job market demand. Or put simply, how marketable is that profession. So, in a way, a great career should be an intersection of your talents, your passions, and the job market demand.

African Business Leaders are Failing Africa

Despite the gloomy news about Africa in the international media, the fact is that the continent is experiencing growth, and businesses are reaping big, never mind some instabilities in some places. The African stock markets and exchanges are giving more returns to their shareholders, and generally, the business climate is improving. Companies, especially consumer goods companies, minerals and oil companies, banks and financial services firms, and telecommunication companies are making huge sums of money in the continent. These companies are driving the growth story of Africa. They are the reason behind the 'Africa Rising Narrative', and are one of the reasons why Africa is home to six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world.

African CEOs and business leaders could shape the destiny of the continent in many ways. They are the ones

How Presidential Term Limits can Promote Democracy in Africa.

In the 1980s and 1990s, something profound happened in many African countries. It is that the winds of democracy blew across the African continent. These winds would result in some resistance from Africa's ruling elite, but eventually, the winds could not be extinguished. Several African countries embarked on a process of changing their constitutions, so that this new democratic ideal could be accommodated. Some African countries were unstable as a result, but many others went on to build resilient democracies and economies in the process. In some countries such as Zambia, the ruling party was dislodged from office.

Are African schools training the next generation of leaders?

Are African schools training the next generation of leaders in an adequate way. The problem of Africa is not poverty, nor is it the lack of resources. It is simply a lack of leadership. Leadership around the continent is woefully lacking, which is why we often dread when an African country is going to hold an election. Granted, elections alone are not a determinant of whether a country has a strong leadership culture. In that respect then, how well are African schools and universities preparing the current students to be able to take up leadership positions in future?

To train the next generation of leaders, African schools and universities must create a curriculum that nurtures leadership training and one that will ensure that the future African leaders can contribute meaningfully to the continent's growth. We could look at two examples of schools that are already setting the trend of training the next generation of African leaders. At the South Africa based African leadership Academy (ALA), the

Africa's middle class: The real engine of growth for the continent.

There are wide disparities on the real meaning of the 'African middle class'. According to a Mckinsey report, the number of middle class in Africa could be 200 million. However, others disagree and put this number at just 20 million. So, we really have some interesting statistics here. The real meaning of the middle class also differs. For example, the happy go lucky trader that imports goods from China may have very different characteristics from the educated elite who holds a powerful corporate job.
However much we disagree on the real number and meaning of the middle class in Africa, the fact is that the number is growing. Nowhere is this being felt than in the consumer economy of Africa. According to another

What African Countries can Learn from the United States

African leaders are turning to China, believing that China is the new kid on the block. However, there are plenty of lessons that African leaders can learn from the United States. I'm not saying that the United States is perfect, for it is a country that too has its own weaknesses. However, by and large, it has provided a model upon which the rest of the world can learn from, and no wonder the world's best and brightest all dream of going to the United States one day.

The first lesson that African leaders can learn from the United States is that democracy doesn't have to be at the expense of economic growth. Too often, we have seen that in African countries its as if it is a choice of one or the other. Both democracy and economic growth go hand in hand. True, some countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia have prioritised economic growth over democracy, or Tanzania has prioritised democracy over economic growth. However, the United States shows that a big democracy can also be the world's superpower when it comes economic growth. Think about all the opposing forces in the United

For Young Africans, a Career in Football is Becoming Attractive.

The African cup of nations got underway a few days ago. This is the season when African teams compete for the ultimate continental glory. However, how can African teams perform better and become champions in the global stage. There is no doubt that there is plenty of soccer talent in Africa. One need only look at the English Premier League, or La Lige, Bundesliga, and Seria A to realise the breadth of talent in the continent. However, this talent hasn't translated to trophies for African teams. How can African teams improve their quality of soccer?

One, talent development from a very early age has to be looked into. We must endeavor to identify the best African brains from early on, give them the necessary support, and see them develop in every possible way. While there is no doubt a number of African countries that have talent academies, the number is not enough. What's more, the talent academies are run mostly by foreign agents, who go on to make tonnes of money in the process. Tied to the establishment of talent academies is to ensure that there are enough structures to ensure that this young talent graduates up to the senior level. There have been disputes between the sports federations and the ministry of sports in various African countries, and this has led to a continuous lowering of the standards of soccer in the country.

Tied to this, the sports personalities must be paid well. Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast could make enough money to run his country's football federation, showing just how little players back home are paid. What if more Africa's rich could begin investing in soccer? Then we could have football clubs that are rich and able

For Africa to Develop, it Will Have to Abolish its Borders

It's a kind of paradox. Outsiders usually view Africa as one country. And yet, Africa is very divided, both within and without countries. The dream of African independence leaders to create one political federation has all but stumbled. These days, each African country is looking out for its own affairs. How then can unity in Africa be achieved. Is it really possible to have Africa speak with one voice. Ghana's founding President Kwame Nkrumah advocated for an immediate political federation, but he died a man of frustrations. His dreams did not go further. There were others such as Tanzania's Julius Nyerere who urged that there be a gradual integration of the various regions of Africa, before finally having a political federation that would unite all Africans.

Currently, unity is a hard sell. The continental body, the African Union(AU), has acted more as a talking shop than a genuine place where resolutions and action plans are generated. Moreover, it has acted as a forum where African Presidents cover each others backs. So, the continental body has evolved and become a unity of Africa's leaders, rather than being a unity of the African people. Forums such as the African Cup of

Pursuing The Power of the African Dream.

I have a simple question. America has the American dream, where citizens basically aspire to reach middle class status, and be financially well off. Its what has made the United States to become such a magnet for people all around in the world. In 2013, China launched the Chinese dream, in which the Chinese were urged to aspire for a higher status. Likewise, too, can Africans have something akin to the 'African dream'. I know Africa is not a country, and there are wide disparities within and without countries. So, each African country could have its own versions of the African dream. However, there are common themes such as human rights, access to basic and affordable healthcare and education, provision of clean, decent, and rewarding jobs, as well as being materially wealthy. In your own opinion, what can an 'African dream' consist of?

How to Increase African Universities Funding

 Many African universities are grappling with decreased funding from their governments. This has seen many African universities launch the self sponsored programs, but due to the competition for students this income stream too is becoming jeopardized. This has forced many African universities to look for income generating schemes that can supplement the fee paid by the universities. One such university that has expanded is Kenya's Moi University, located in the western town of Eldoret.

To realize its aims of economic self sufficiency, four mega agricultural projects will be launched soon under the Moi University development unit (MUDU). The projects dubbed MUDU flowers, MUDU Dairies, MUDU Fruits and MUDU Poultry will be undertaken with support of partners from an Israeli Consortium of businessmen with expertise in Agribusiness. This was

Here is how to Increase the Jobs in Africa

Africa's population is growing at unprecedented rates. If the current growth rates in population are sustained, then Africa will have the most number of people in the world by 2040. Equally, Africa is the youngest continent in the world, with an average age of just 19 years. Even if Africa is the second fastest growth region in the world, it is clear that this growth rate cannot keep up with the population growth. What's more, this growth is not leading to the creation of more jobs, but rather to the enrichment of a tiny elite, leading to what's known as 'jobless growth'. Due to this, the rate of unemployment is high, especially among the youth where it hovers at over 40 percent. How then can policy makers increase the number of jobs in Africa?

One aspect is to increase the number of high growth businesses. High growth businesses enable the creation of huge amounts of wealth, and in the process, lead to the creation of clean, decent, and rewarding jobs.

5 Reasons to be optimistic about Africa in 2015

Adapted from Business Report.

It is impossible not to have strong views when it comes to the debate on Africa’s rise: despite solid economic growth and progress in poverty alleviation, people’s views on the region’s outlook remain stubbornly polarised.

Let me state up front that I am cautiously optimistic that Africa is taking off. This year the World Economic Forum (WEF) is marking 25 years of change in Africa. Looking back, there is no denying that Africa has made remarkable progress over the past two decades. Here are five reasons why I am optimistic.

One, the regional economy has grown steadily since 2001 and continues to do so at a rate of about 5 percent a year. Its macroeconomic environment is sound with low government debt, rising domestic resource mobilisation and reduced inflation rates.

Two, the consumer market is rising in tandem with its growing population. In 2008, McKinsey estimated that African consumers spent $860 billion on goods and services, which was 35 percent more than the $635bn

African Universities Must Spur on Economic Growth

While the World Bank and other multilateral institutions were quick to point out that basic education is what Africa needed, consensus has emerged that higher education is just as important. In that regard, there has never been a better time for the continent's universities to spur on growth. Throughout the world, universities are proving to be the engine of growth, as new ideas churned out of universities  are being turned into innovations that are creating world beating companies. What Africa needs now is not a discovery of more raw materials and commodities- though no less important, but a pursuit of ideas that will propel the continent forward.

In that respect then, Africa needs a Harvard or an MIT to be able to attract the best and brightest students from the rest of the continent, and channel them to the best careers, from which they will be able to create companies. This will call for an innovative education system that will allow the best minds the freedom to flourish. Currently, Africa's best and brightest routinely head abroad to Western countries, where there are

Leadership is the single Biggest Failure for Africa.

Africa is blessed with lots of natural resources. There are lots of oil and commodities that are being discovered in Africa. For example, the whole East African coast is reputed to be rich in gas fields. Equally, the coast of Angola, known as the Kwanza basin, is reputed to be rich in oil reserves all the way to the coast of Brazil. Even as there are more mineral resources in Africa, the continent is also blessed with a human capital that is increasingly becoming assertive, and taking its rightful place in the world. According to the late great management guru Peter Drucker, ideas will be the new capital, and African countries that position themselves to increase their level of innovative human capital shall be at the forefront of economic growth and development.
The single biggest impediment for success then is not the lack of resources, but rather the lack of leadership in the continent. Effective leadership will ensure that the continent is on a path to sustained good governance

Countries in Africa must embrace their Diaspora

Over the past one or two decades, there have been many Africans that have left the continent to pursue greener pastures elsewhere. Some have left for good, while many continue to be engaged in the continent in various ways. The question has been on how to embrace this diaspora so that they can contribute meaningfully to Africa's development.

The African diaspora send in remittances that are used by their families back home for survival. However, the remittances go mostly to domestic consumption, rather than productive endeavors. Therefore, we must do more so that we can channel these remittances to productive endeavors. Equally important, according to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the cost of remittance to Africa is significantly high. The amounts that could have been saved from the remittances could have been used for development projects.

Equally important, we could encourage skills transfer to the home countries. The African diaspora have been exposed to how advanced economies work, and they have been inculcated with skills to know how the