Africa in 2015: What can the continent look up to?

Africa is a continent that offers contrasting narratives, and making any grand predictions may in fact be counter-intuitive. However, there are broad areas to look forward to for Africa in 2015. Here are some broad predictions for Africa in 2015.

1. Less Military Coups.

For the year 2014, there were instabilities in several African countries. The peace in South Sudan is still fragile, while Central African Republic is just beginning to recover from a humanitarian crisis. Burkina Faso had a military coup in which the long serving President, Blaise Compaore, in power since 1987, was removed from power. In 2015, however, with the African Union getting ever strict in dealing with conflicts in African countries, more African civilian and military rulers will be scared against staging more coups in the continent. Fewer coups will lead to more stability for the continent, which will in turn lead to a more investor friendly continent.

2. Faster Economic Growth.

Already, six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. The continent should consolidate this growth and continue to grow at rates above 5 percent according to the World Bank. However, much of this growth is coming from a low base, and this growth can be deceptive. For African countries to achieve a

Aid is the cause of Poverty in Africa.

Which is the best path for Africa to develop. There have been various suggestions to this question. One school of thought is that Africa needs aid, lots of it, in order to develop. The other school of thought is that Africa needs to be left on its own, so that it feels the pinch, and gradually begin to make headway in development. Such proponents argue that aid is the cause of poverty in Africa. So, which one should we believe. I believe that aid is not the panacea to Africa's development. Since independence, trillions of dollars have been poured into Africa, and yet, there is no proof that the aid has translated into meaningful development for the continent.

In her best selling book, Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and Why There is a Better Way for Africa, Zambian economist Dr. Dambisa Moyo argues that aid is not the solution to the continent's underdevelopment. She argues that what the continent needs is better leadership, and management of

The African media has not told the true African story.

The media is often referred to as the fourth estate of democracy. That the media shapes perception is an understatement. The media shapes opinion in more ways than one. And yet, African media have left the continent to be cast in negative light by the international media. Too often, the story of Africa as retold in the international media is one of war, disease, and poverty. It's an image which has stuck for a long time, and changing perceptions about Africa will be hard work indeed. What can the African media do to change perceptions about Africa?

It would be important to note that first of all, there is no comprehensive continental channel to project the African view to the world. The African agenda only gets a footnote in the international media, and this makes it harder for the rest of the world to know the genuine success stories in the continent. When a Kenyan wants

Former African Presidents can be trained for life after office.

As democracy begins to take shape in Africa, there are more African heads of state who are leaving office voluntarily. However, there appears to be no comprehensive program to prepare former African heads of state to leave office and be engaged meaningfully. This leaves former African heads of state in a dilemma as they do not know what to do with their spare time and lots of energy. This is why many African heads of state are clinging to power, and do not know what to do once they leave office. The fear of the unknown is palpable. At Boston University, there is the African Presidential Lecture Series Program, which seeks to prepare African leaders for life after office. The former African Presidents and Prime Ministers are engaged in a series of lectures in the US Universities, after which they return home.

However, in African Universities, there is no such program. The former Presidents and Prime Ministers could in fact teach and become visiting scholars, where they can impact the same knowledge to future African leaders. Through such a platform, African students will get to know why the leaders made certain choices, and what motivated these choices. This will be a great way to ensure that the young African leaders are prepared for the future.

There has to be a way that former African heads of state are kept busy. For instance, former Mozambique President Joachim Chissano has been instrumental in advocating for peace in Sudan, while former Tanzanian President was instrumental in bringing peace to Kenya during the 2007/08 post election violence. We need more of such initiatives in Africa, so that former African heads of state are kept busy, and in the same breadth, impart their rich knowledge and experience to future African leaders.

Social Entrepreneurs are putting an end to NGOs.

While NGOs have operated in Africa for a long time, there is a new paradigm in the industry. The social entrepreneurship sector, even though nascent, is being embraced by many of the continent’s leaders to help fight some of the most debilitating conditions in the continent. The social entrepreneurship sector spans a large array of sectors, and it is hard to think of any sector that will not be disrupted by this mode of solving the continent’s most pressing problems.

At the South Africa based African Leadership Academy, the school’s founders, Fred Swaniker, Chris Bradford, and Acha Leke, envision a school that is going to create the next generation of African leaders. The school admits some of the most gifted students from Africa and around the world. Acceptance rates in the school are less than 5 percent. The school relies on a large number of donors, who help educate the students. The most needy students are awarded full scholarships, while those who can afford to pay cough up rates that they will be comfortable with. The school’s vision is to produce the next generation of African

Africa can claim the 21st Century-Here's How.

Opinion is divided on the real potential of Africa. One school of thought is that there are ever more conflicts and instabilities in Africa, and the poverty levels in Africa have gone up, rather than down. For instance, according to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics report in 2012, the absolute poverty numbers had in fact gone up, even while the country was growing at a rate of 7 percent per year. Even with the huge mineral resources in Nigeria, the country has not yet been able to lift millions of its people out of poverty. And yet, Nigeria’s situation, so often referred to as the paradox of plenty, in which a country has high poverty levels despite huge resources, is so widespread across Africa.

Still, a second school of thought is that African economies are growing at a rate faster than before. The World Bank cites that six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. The increased optimism in the continent is further fuelled by the increasing number of African middle class. The African

Democracy can work in Africa, but with modifications.

Africa’s real problems manifest around the time of elections. Picture that in the last five years, there have been coups or near coups in Guinea, Mali, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Let’s not forget the fragile situation in Northern Nigeria, where the instabilities continue to persist. So, what mus Africa do to curb these instabilities?

Many suggest that the real problem with Africa is democracy. That democracy as envisioned in the West cannot simply work in Africa. But is this really true? While Japan has managed to change governments left right and center within the last ten years, its stability and general economic prospects have not been affected much. The same could be said about Italy. These governments basically function even when the sitting

President or Prime Minister is having trouble holding onto office. The same cannot be said about African

How Nigeria became the testing ground for Africa.

By many accounts, if you want to make it in Africa, then you must first make it in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, and also the most populous. Take MTN for example. The company paid about $285 million as license fees in 2001. The players in the industry thought that this was a big joke. However, consider that the country had 10 million pay TV customers at the time, and so, the MTN CEO thought that if Nigerians could afford Pay TV, then surely, they could afford mobile phones. Currently, MTN has 32 million customers, and

Why Africa must not forget half of its talents- Women

In an opinion piece, Llewellyn King argues that the long-term future of Africa lies its attitude toward women.” At present, women in Africa have a raw deal, yet they, and not the natural resources in Africa- are its future.

Women hold Africa together and suffer in silence. They are the ones bent over with primitive implements in the fields, inevitably with their latest infant strapped to their backs. They are the ones who must endure marriage during puberty, bear children before their bodies are fully formed and face the world’s highest rates of death during childbirth. According to Nigerian minister for Finance and Economy, African countries lose

Why Africa is the fastest growing region in the world.

African Arguments, a think tank that seeks to promote the understanding of issues about Africa, argues that “One of the most common narratives that has dominated international headlines is that seven of the ten fastest growing economies are in Africa. But does this really stand up to scrutiny? This list was computed by the Economist in 2011, and continues to be quoted by every major world leader and opinion shaper. The exercise excluded countries with a population of less than 10 million and also the post-conflict booming Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Economist was reporting forecasts made for 2011 to 2015, and as African arguments reports, “there is a difference between forecasted and actually measured growth. According to John Kenneth Galbraith, the

This is how Africa can solve the youth unemployment crisis.

Africa is no doubt blessed with so many resources. And yet, this huge untapped wealth hasn't translated into tangible benefits for the common man on the African streets. The most affected of this have been the youth. How do African governments solve the youth unemployment crisis?

African governments must make it easier to register businesses. It takes many days to register a business, and this scares away many investors. Also, currently, many businesses are outside the formal sector, and this just makes it hard for their governments to capture this wealth. According to Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto, there is about ten trillion dollars of idle wealth that has not been brought to the mainstream economy. If we formalize these businesses, then we could bring these businesses to the formal economy, and what's more, such businesses will be able to borrow against their assets and expand.

Secondly, African youth must be equipped with the right skills so that they can translate the skills learnt in school to the workplace. Employers are complaining that it is becoming harder to get skilled graduates, and they have to spend enormous resources to train new workers. According to a 2013 PWC survey of African CEOs, business leaders cited the lack of talent as the most portent threat to their businesses. This is why experience so often trumps education and credentials in the workplace. By having an innovative education system, we will be able to impart the students with the right skills, and they shall be able to transfer this to the workplace.

Overall, youth unemployment really constitutes a grave danger for Africa. It cannot be that six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa and yet the continent still grapples with high levels of youth unemployment. Youth who do not have jobs take longer to start families, and they experience higher divorce rates. Ultimately, a country with a high youth unemployment experiences high levels of instability, something that African countries could do well to avoid.

Can young Africans lead change in the continent?

Are leaders born or made. This is a subject in which countless books have been written, and we are not likely to have the final answer to this question anytime soon. The other more pertinent question is whether African youth can be trusted with power. Can youth below the age of 35 years be elected into office, and bring much more meaningful change to the continent.

Telecoms billionnare Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese Briton, introduced a 5 million dollar prize to award former African leaders that during their term, left office democratically, and were also instrumental in promoting peace and stability, and above all, initiated an economic empowerment in their countries. That the prize has not been awarded for a number of years is telling of the appalling levels of leadership in the continent. However, a critic would say that Africa is not the only place where there is a dearth of leadership. In deed, there are many places in the world with untold levels of suffering that has been occasioned by poor leadership. What sets these countries apart is that they have strong institutions and systems that are able to withstand any winds that a bad person may bring along.

Could African youth fill this dearth of leadership in the continent? If facts are to be believed, more youth are getting higher education, and thanks to the internet, they are exposed to first class systems of the way things are done in other parts of the world. They therefore could begin to mobilise and ensure that effective change takes place. For this to happen, African youth must be detribalised, and be able to engage across ethnic boundaries. It is sometimes astounding that even though African youth are very highly educated, sometimes, some of the most heinous tribal hatred emanates from us. When we realize that there is more that binds us than separates us, it is time that the youth begin to be more unified, and take Africa from the sidelines of world affairs to the center where Africa will be respected as an important player in the world.

Sustainable Youth Empowerment.

Let’s define our key words so we can put our topic in the right perspective.

What does the term sustainable mean? According to Encarta Dictionary, sustainable simply means able to be maintained.

Who is a youth?  A youth is simply a young person. According to the National Youth Policy of Nigeria, a youth is recognized from the age bracket of 18-35 years.

What does the term empowerment mean? It is a process of making one more confident or assertive: to give somebody a greater sense of confidence or self-esteem (Encarta Dictionary)

Recently in the national dallies we read of politicians aspiring for political offices at different levels of government are “empowering” youths every other day. One may be misled to think these aspirants are really and truly empowering youths based on the conviction that empowered youths means empowered nation. It is interesting to know that all the noise being made on youth empowerment is as a result of the forthcoming 2015 election. Politicians offer tricycles, motorbikes, wheel barrows etc to youths sadly this type of empowerment is categorized under the backward empowerment style.

This type of empowerment is a backward empowerment style because it only seeks to provide the recipients material possession and that is supposed to be the late phase of any empowerment scheme if it is to be sustainable.

The first phase of any empowerment scheme should be aimed at capacity building. Capacity building which is the systematic expansion of an individual’s ability to comprehend, visualize and articulate. It is in this first phase that true empowerment takes place. Capacity building can be in form of Business seminars, entrepreneurial training on business development, seminar on finance and book keeping etc.

It is after a successful phase of capacity building that material empowerment should be employed; this is what is called Progressive Empowerment Scheme. We cannot claim to be empowering youths with Tricycles and motorbikes when they lack the intellectual content of managing the resources gotten from such enterprise and growing the business to an enviable height.

However, the reasons why politicians choose to use the backward empowerment style are solely because of their selfish motives. They desire to build a photo album that will chronicle all their “achievements”. They are also aware that capacity building is the intangible form of empowerment which cannot be captured with the lens of the camera; more so, will not visibly give them credit on the social media and their likes.

A sustainable Youth empowerment is such that would first empower the mind before the hands. When youths are empowered with tangible materials such as tricycles, the success of the empowerment lies solely on that material but when the mind is first empowered, the youth can turn the tangible into more tangibles hence creating jobs and empowering others.

Here is the cycle: Capacity building with material empowerment/empowers the beneficiary/creates more tangible materials/more tangible materials, creates more jobs/more Jobs, empowers more Youths. 

See the other backward style: Material empowerment/only provides tangible materials to the beneficiary/creates no more tangible materials/creates no jobs and empowers no one.

A sustainable youth empowerment is a process and not a one day event of distributing wheel barrows, motorbikes, and tricycles.

 Anthony IKE Otikpa, Executive Director, Fyid.org writes from Lagos, Nigeria

What does Africa need in order to create the next Silicon Valley?

Let's face it. There is only one Silicon Valley in the world. In California, United States. However, Africa, can replicate the successes of Silicon Valley and ensure that it becomes a global player in the ICT industry. Here are a few things that Africa must get right if it is to become that global superpower in IT related industries.

The first thing that Africa must do is to ensure that it creates a chain of world class universities that are able to churn out innovative talent. While Africa's universities are great in teaching, they have not been as deep when it comes to innovation and creativity. This is reflected in the low ranking of African universities globally. What if we had a few universities that could give the likes of Harvard and Yale a run for their money? The continent would no doubt be better placed to lead the charge and become an ICT leader in many fields.

Secondly, we must ensure that Africans have access to capital. Currently, getting capital for African businesses is a hard nut to crack. This is made even worse by the fact that banks are not willing to lend to the ICT sector, because most of the products are intangible. Towards this end, there is also the missing venture

Four Predictions for Africa in 2015.

In 2015, Africa will undergo tremendous changes. Here at Africa Analyst, here are the four major points we think will shape Africa in 2015.

1. Faster economic growth
Many countries will continue to grow their economies faster, and pay credence to the Africa rising narrative. Already, six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, and we must do as Africa is to consolidate these gains. However, the challenge will be in how the gains of this economic growth are spread.

2. Booming real estate sector.
The real estate sector in the continent is set to undergo tremendous growth, and cities such as Luanda in Angola will remain areas where property prices will be particularly high. However, the growth in real estate sector must not be to the detriment of other sectors of the economy.

3. Booming IT sector.
The IT sector could be the real game changer in Africa. However, more must be done to move this palpable sense of growth from hype to reality. Already, many incubation centers such as Ihub in