The African continent is navigating multiple transitions including, exchange of leadership, economic uncertainties, health challenges alongside innovations, technological advancements, youth voice and creative dynamism among many others. It is important to examine how this context is contributing to multiple processes of priority setting, spheres of influence and re-positioning on a global stage.
The past two years have seen the world in a global frenzy with the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020 only serving to exacerbate the existing socio-economic, and infrastructural tensions amongst others. Against this background, the continent has experienced shifts in governance with ongoing cycles of coups in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Guinea) in addition to the Ethiopian -Tigray crisis and the recent clash between the M23 rebel movement and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which continue to highlight the obstacles to peace and security. This occurs alongside notable high level initiatives being led by imminent African leaders including former Nigerian President Obasanjo who played a key role in brokering the ceasefire between Tigray forces and the Ethiopian government and indeed ALC Leading Practitioners serving as United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) representatives in Mali and Libya. This is in addition to celebrated governance gains through successful elections and handovers in Kenya (2022) and Zambia (2021), which provide optimism for the electoral climate. While the move by the current Ivorian President to reconcile with his predecessor offers hope for stability and a more inclusive political engagement. On this, it has been noted that the changes in Africa point to a ‘mixed democratic landscape rather than a universally negative picture’.[1]
In this light, across the continent, youth voices continue to grow, as they call their various governments to account, while their presence and participation in government is steadily rising. The examples where there is increasing youth representation in the National Assembly and in Kenya and Namibia highlight this. Moreover, although unemployment rates remain high, African youth continue to break barriers through start-ups and venture capitalist outfits addressing a range of issues found across societies (eg Flutterwave, Tala, Chipper cash, Fawry).[2] These are garnering attention both in terms of recognition and financial backing, there are for instance, over 600 tech hubs helping incubate innovative solutions across African cities, while over $4billion in funding was raised in 2021.[3]
Across Africa, countries are facing setbacks in their economic development, as global economic insecurities loom; with high inflation, high cost of living (with noted protests taking place in South Africa, Senegal, and Ghana) continuing to shape the landscape. This notwithstanding, The African Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was a landmark move, as it moves to create, integrate, and boost trade and investment opportunities across the continent. The pilot phase is noted to have started off well, with the example of Kenya being able to export a range of selected products to Ghana. Arts and culture continue to take centre stage in this positive change, with many Afrobeats musicians taking top positions on the global stage (e.g., Wizkid, Burna Boy,) and the film industries in Nigeria (Nollywood) and South Africa securing places on global platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Climate change remains as much an Africa issue as it is a global one; displacement and food insecurity are burgeoning especially in the Horn of Africa, while the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis indicates an even bleaker future for food supplies on the continent. This occurs alongside flash floods in parts of the continent, including Nigeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. This notwithstanding, there is evidence of many contexts embracing technology and applying this to every-day service delivery. The examples of employing drone technology, for instance in Rwanda to deliver essential medicines to rural hospitals and indeed Uganda where HIV medicines are being delivered to remote areas are evidence of this. There is also greater voice and complexity in negotiating responses to the climate crisis including the (albeit precarious) loss and damage fund.[4]
Finally, despite the poor health infrastructure across much of the continent, the Covid-19 death tolls were far less against the global numbers, as many governments chose to impose stricter measures shaped through cases of lessons learning based on the Ebola outbreak (in the MANO region). The pandemic has also accompanied a reenergisation of health intervention from efforts to develop and produce vaccines and other therapeutic goods, to collaboration across regions and the continent for greater efficiency and reach through the African Centre for Disease Control (ACDC)alongside the global recognition of African leadership on a global scale, seen in the examples of the President of the World Health Organisation (WHO) President Dr Tedros Gehebreyesus and Director General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chike Ihekweazu.[5] Yet, this occurs against the background of depleting numbers of health workers and out-migration to the global North; Nigeria for example, is one of the largest contributors to NHS UK staff but has an in-country doctor to patient ratio of 3.81:10000.
Bearing all this in mind, Africa Week asks, to what extent is Africa’s navigation of its complex contradictions offering opportunities to generate influence in global spheres?
Throughout Africa week, we will critically interrogate several of these changes across different thematic areas, drawing on research from King’s scholars and research partners across Africa to examine how the changes in Africa may repositioning its role on the global platform.
[1] Gopaldas Ronak and Ndhlovu Menzi (2022), Africa- where is the good news? ISS Today https://issafrica.org/iss-today/africa-where-is-the-good-news
[2] See more at https://startuplist.africa/industry/fintech
[3] Adegboye Emmanuel (2022). Youth innovation can help shape the future of African cities. Chatham House [online] https://www.chathamhouse.org/2022/08/youth-innovation-can-help-shape-future-african-cities
[4] UN Climate Press Release. COP27 Reachers Breakthrough Agreement on New “Loss and Damage” Fund for Vulnerable Countries, 2022 https://unfccc.int/news/cop27-reaches-breakthrough-agreement-on-new-loss-and-damage-fund-for-vulnerable-countries
[5] Adepoju Paul (2021) Nigeria CDC head to lead WHO pandemic and epidemic intelligence hub. Devex [online]https://www.devex.com/news/nigeria-cdc-head-to-lead-who-pandemic-and-epidemic-intelligence-hub-101234