WeirdoW

Isn’t it interesting watching the world change? The myriad of crises that have been bombarding the globe this year seems to have re-ignited a bunch of underlying pain points that have for years frustrated many. This year is poised to bring a massive shift in technology, geopolitics, and how different races interact.

What I find to be the most interesting is the relative stability of Africa as a whole as compared to the rest of the world. Instead of being the worst hit, as many experts predicted, we find that we are instead using this time to optimize our systems and countries. Take the recent Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement. With this, Africa is now a united continent when it comes to trade. This comes as more and more of us are becoming sensitized on just how much potential we have to turn the world on its head. Should our leaders and citizens choose to make proper use of the opportunities that are presenting themselves, there is no telling how far we can go.

Were Africa to unite in our efforts to grow, there would be no stopping us. I mean, our ancestors were integral to building a significant chunk of the developed countries. So what’s stopping us from building our own up to even greater heights. Leaders like Paul Kagame who are not entranced by the promises and bribes that have for so long held back our progress are just what we need. We should create a culture of believing in our ability to generate our riches and get rid of the sense of inadequacy left to us by the colonial era.

The perfect example of this would be Mansa Musa. According to Forbes, this West African leader was so wealthy that it is impossible to estimate his net worth. Even the likes of Augustus Ceaser, who had an estimated $4.3tn net worth, have nothing on him. He was so wealthy that the handouts he gave during his pilgrimage to Meka wrecked the economies of entire countries. So why do we have such a hard time believing in our ability to become the greatest there ever was?

Africa is uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of progress. And one of the advantages we have is the very fact that we are late to the developed game. While developed countries are based on old infrastructure, we are still an essentially blank canvas. So why don’t we make like John Magufuli and build ourselves from the ground up instead of seeking the highest bidder?