Business Times Africa Magazine 2017 /vol 9/ No2 BT2Edition2017_web | Page 17

Mo Ibrahim: Africa is at
a tipping point
OPINION
Africa is at a tipping point. Whether it continues rising or falls back depends,
above all else, on whether the continent creates the conditions in which its
greatest resource – its young people – can shine.
Already six out of 10 of Africa’s people
are under 25. Between 2015 and 2050,
Africa’s youth population will almost dou-
ble, growing from almost 230 million to
452 million.
Their potential to drive Africa’s progress
goes far beyond numbers. As a group, they
are more adventurous, more entrepre-
neurial and spend longer in school than
past generations. They also have set their
sights higher, wanting to emulate their
counterparts in other continents rather
than achieve goals set by their parents.
But this demographic dividend is in
danger of turning sour. Nothing better
highlights the problem than the fact that
the more time young people in Africa
spend in education, the more likely they
are to be unemployed. It is a failure which
draws attention to how the commodity cy-
cle of recent years may have supercharged
the gross domestic product of many Af-
rican states, but has created almost no
jobs and greatly widened inequalities. It
also highlights the worrying mismatch
between the skills our young people are
taught and those needed by the contem-
porary job market. This is a recipe for frus-
tration and anger.
The same is true of the alarming dis-
connect between democratic politics and
young people. Again, there has been real
progress on the continent with 109 elec-
tions in the decade since 2006, leading to
44 changes of power.
But this is not translating into great-
er faith in democracy. Scepticism about
elected representatives is growing. Afri-
can citizens put their trust first in religious
leaders, then the army and traditional
leaders. Presidents come a distant fourth.
Democratic fatigue is most severe
among the young, with their electoral
turnout declining. An average age gap of
44 years between the people and their
leaders fuels a belief that those in power
disregard young peoples’ interests.
This combination of lack of economic
opportunity and political disenfranchise-
ment may become a toxic brew. Devoid of
economic prospects and lacking any say
over the direction of their countries and
futures, young people are increasingly at-
tracted to other alternatives. The dramatic
increase in terrorist attacks in Africa over
the past decade, and the rising numbers of
those abandoning their homes to risk the
perilous crossing of the Mediterranean,
show where frustration, anger and despair
can lead.
As well as fuelling conflict and instabil-
ity, terrorism can also claim to be one of
Africa’s fastest-growing business sectors,
with increasing involvement in the drugs
trade, human trafficking and the black
market. The income and status terrorism
offers are as important to their appeal as
extremist ideology.
These challenges underline the crucial
importance of wise leadership and good
governance for Africa’s future. Without
them, high hopes can quickly lead to deep
frustrations. If the energy and ambition
of Africa’s youth is wasted, they could be-
come a seriously destabilising force.
Africa needs leadership that will har-
ness the energy of young people, and cre-
ate the conditions in which their rightful
expectations can be met. For a start, gov-
ernments and businesses must come to-
gether to ensure that schools and colleges
across the continent are equipping young
people with the skills they need to make
their mark on the world.
Right across Africa, we must put in
place the policies and environment that
allow our young people to thrive. As for-
mer German president Horst Köhler said
at our Governance Weekend in Mar-
rakech recently: “A leader doesn’t just
manage the present. A leader shapes the
future.”
This article was originally published in the Fi-
nancial Times.
2017 | Business Times Africa 15