Africa’s Promise Re-echoes

The African continent, despite its varied challenges, remains a place of hope. As many nations across the continent reach a socio-political inflection point, ideas and ideals will shape the new future young Africans envision for themselves.

Written by Ndidi Akahara

Nov 10, 2023

Why the Continent Remains a Place of Hope. Photo illustration by Dami Mojid.

It has been a tough half decade for Africa. The continent has experienced a series of shocks, the most significant being the COVID-19 pandemic which in 2020 alone, cost the region at least $115 billion in output losses according to the World Bank. Many countries currently face acute foreign exchange shortages while citizens battle cost of living crises. One would be remiss to ignore the swaths of coups, both military and civilian, that are occurring across the continent, while climate change is rapidly exposing the region’s unpreparedness for the new environmental reality we find ourselves in.

However, despite the despondency that seems to underpin coverage of Africa’s issues, the continent remains a place of opportunity, one occupied by young vibrant populations that are yet to resign themselves to narratives about Africa failing. This article does not ignore the deep-seated structural challenges many African countries face. Instead, its focus is on potential, which remains an underlying feature of discussions around Africa. Recent global events have triggered a new wave of youth-led Pan-Africanism, and Africa is rapidly approaching an inflection point where its citizens will be tasked with determining the continent’s trajectory. Africa’s young people are ready to engage the world, all it takes is meaningful action and a rethinking of Africa’s place on the global stage.

COULD THIS BE THE AGE OF AFRICAN IDEALS?

The word telos is a term used by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, to describe the ultimate object or aim of one’s life. Telos is akin to a teacher’s calling to share knowledge, or the journalist’s desire to pursue truth and it should naturally factor into nation-building. It may be reflected in a country’s desire for freedom from oppression, or the citizens’ desire for democratic leadership. Regardless of the context, national telos implies a public cohesion aimed at a higher goal that spurs people to acts of bravery and kindness. Recent coups across the African continent, although unsavoury, have revealed local dissatisfaction with the status quo. The grievances are varied, and yet very similar: poor leadership, corruption, and a general lack of consideration for the populations most affected by Africa’s poor human development metrics.

This new wave of thought is galvanizing mass support for a new Africa, built on ideals rather than ethnic or religious rivalries. These African idealists, many of whom are under the age of 40 are bent on forging a new future for the continent that is inclusive and productive, one which prioritizes checks and balances, good governance, and institutional legitimacy. However, their success will depend on the ideas and ideals that shape the coming decades. Africans have a chance to shape and inform the ideas that will govern this new phase in the continent’s progress. The hope is that they will be rooted in humanistic goals that uplift and empower citizens to be active and socially responsible to their communities.

TOP-DOWN OR BOTTOM-UP SOLUTIONS?

So how can this new age of African idealism be realized? While national telos implies a public course of action, meaning that people with the right objectives and abilities come forward and are willing to do the work necessary for Africa’s prosperity, defining telos is also very personal. African citizens can and should take individual responsibility for the kinds of leaders they want to have. However, in order to achieve a lofty national purpose, virtuous leadership is needed to steer these efforts. The solution is to meet in the middle and push for dynamic reform on both ends. An innovative approach to this kind of reform is Kgotla, a Botswanan precolonial practice which has proven to be useful to Botswana’s growth. Kgotla is a custom originally used by pre-colonial chiefs which emphasizes deliberation and gaining consensus. As Jonathan Tepperman illustrates in his book The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline, the practice formed the foundation for an efficient and prudent civil service which has served Botswana well. African nations therefore have the necessary tools to meet the challenges of 21st-century governance, and solutions to these challenges will have to be people-centred and organic.

On a local level, young Africans should continue to use the tools at their disposal to effect the change they want to see. As many begin to face the reality of effecting sociopolitical change: ethno-religious rivalries, election petitions and transitions from military to civilian rule, they will need to learn from those who have gone before them, which is why history education remains paramount. Defining telos on an individual level also requires a deep curiosity about the world and a willingness to experience the views of others. Reading great works of literature and vibrant civic education campaigns are sure ways to develop these ideas. The recent shows of Pan-African solidarity across various countries implies that the time for African ideals is fast approaching. However, an African intellectual renaissance of this kind would reverberate beyond the region’s borders to influence the wider geopolitical context of the world order.

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Africa’s Promise Re-echoes

COULD THIS BE THE AGE OF AFRICAN IDEALS?

TOP-DOWN OR BOTTOM-UP SOLUTIONS?

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Ndidi Akahara

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