INDEED AFRICA IS A BLESSED CONTINENT without a doubt, but beyond being blessed she has got to make her name known in the global stage; however, for this to beactualized certain things needs to be put in place to change the seemingly usual narrative or stories that have long been told about the true identity of what Africa stands for across nations especially that of negative narratives.
INDEED AFRICA IS A BLESSED CONTINENT without a doubt, but beyond being blessed she has got to make her name known in the global stage; however, for this to beactualized certain things needs to be put in place to change the seemingly usual narrative or stories that have long been told about the true identity of what Africa stands for across nations especially that of negative narratives. Moving forward I’d talk about a few of the many things that need to be put into place for this new narrative to take effect.
"Indeed, Africa is a blessed continent, but to truly shine on the global stage, certain steps must be taken to shift the longstanding narratives. It's time to redefine what Africa stands for, moving away from negative stories and embracing her true identity. Let's explore what needs to change for this transformation to happen. 🌍 #AfricaRising #NewNarrative #GlobalAfrica"
Firstly, there is a need to look into the educational systems, the fact that it should incorporate experiences of the real world to make whatever should be taught during academic years to be relatable in reality for every child upon graduation in order words the curriculum should be flexible enough to always accommodate new and relevant information to the advantage of scholars. The future of the scholars beyond the four walls of schooling should be the heartbeat of all involved in the curriculum planning. Hence, it calls for the embracing of quality education where all hands must be on deck, at every level the government and private school owners should see to it that the learner’s learning environment is well equipped, to be fully maximised, as well as making the learning environment conducive for the scholar. On the other hand, the citizens must see to it that they are always prepared to take advantage of what those in authority have for them in the academic system. It’s appalling to know that in some countries in Africa most of the citizens do not take education seriously especially the girl child. For instance, an article by Katherine Gallagher reveals that about nine million girls between ages 6 and 11 are likely to stay at home (out of school) compared to the boys. Moreso, It is important to properly and accurately match teachers/ lecturers within their jurisdiction in order words, qualified teachers/lecturers should be employed to handle different subjects/courses based on their areas of specialty. There should also be an integration of tech into Africa’s educational systems to give full expression of creativity and awaken more innovative minds across nations in Africa. Citizens should be constantly reminded that education is key and paramount for any worthwhile growth to take place in a nation and how it is important they key into it by becoming educated. Moreover, there are still vast differences in the socio-economic status of Africans from one country to another. For example, according to UNICEF data, about 34.7 percent of adults (15 years and older) in Sub-Saharan Africa can neither read nor write.
Africans healthcare system should also be looked into if the narrative must change. The healthcare system must be put in order in accordance with WHO’s (World Health Organization) framework of what a healthcare system should incorporate such as the service delivery, the healthcare information systems, financing medicines and technology for instance in a study that was carried out by Obinna .O. Oleribe et al reveals that lack of healthcare system has led to over five thousand people leaving Nigeria on a monthly basis for diverse treatment and this has resulted in loss of funds in the economy.Hence, more funds need to be allocated to the healthcare system to better the workforce, source for new and relevant information and technology in medicine, go for advanced treatment methods, and generally have a well-furnished healthcare facility to deliver a first class treatment to its citizens for indeed health is wealth. When the citizens of a nation are not healthy it tends to affect the economy drastically thereby reducing the productivity and efficiency of the nation.
Across Africa, a new breed of tech entrepreneurs is emerging. They are the ones who instead of waiting for government handouts and cronyism to help them succeed, have created their own companies in tech hubs such as Nairobi, Kampala and Casablanca. These startups have been built on the back of genuine innovation, hard work and real needs. However, governments across Africa could be restricting their growth by implementing unnecessary regulations that stifle their development.
In other words, the internet is an innovation- and entrepreneurship machine. It has not only spawned more businesses, but also given the world’s knowledge to over a billion people and counting. Today, it is the best competitor to autocratic rule and has already toppled countries in a manner that could anticipate the Arab Spring by several years. The internet is the greatest achievement of our time. Thus, any African government that restricts this right will eventually lose its citizens’ favor. Hence, there is a need for African governments to encourage an enabling environment that supports their courageous new tech-entrepreneurs instead of restricting access to the internet. The government should create ease of access to internet connection as well as a speedy one for online ventures, business people and intentional individuals etc who are regularly projecting the good image of Africa.
Fourthly, creatives and brilliant innovators should always be encouraged and supported to enable them to do more and contribute their quota in making Africa a highly sought after continent. For example, the below innovations from different creatives across Africa should be highly supported and should not be swept beneath the carpet as this will highly change the usual perspective of other continents towards Africa. Poor infrastructure, lack of a centralized distribution system, and high electricity tariffs are some of the issues that Nigeria faces. In a recent interview with Reeddi Olubanjo, founder of Solarsudo — an affordable solar power solution — explained that Nigerian businesses and individuals spend more than 40 percent of their daily expenses on self-generated electricity. Reeddi tackles this problem by creating a compact and portable solar power battery that people can rent out for a low price. With Reeddi’s battery, businesses spend less than 10% on electricity. Kubeko, developed by Noel N’guessan, is a mobile app that helps African smallholder farmers to improve their agricultural productivity. With Kubeko, farmers can analyze the farm situation, how much they are expected to produce and how much they actually react. The app collects data on crop performance by combining data from the field and input data. In this way, Kubeko empowers farmers in improving their agricultural productivity..
In Côte d’Ivoire, post-harvest waste accounts for two to five times the amount of crops sold. Noel N’guessan developed Kubeko — a low-cost biowaste processing system — to convert this plethora of waste into fertilizers. The Kubeko compost and biogas systems require no energy, and only water and a bit of chicken dung. When Dr. Joseph Nderitu, a Kenyan scientist and doctor at Kenyatta National Hospital, noticed problems with the masks in the market, he knew he could do better. He observed that commercially available disposable masks were failing to prevent the spread of diseases among hospital workers and patients in Kenya. They couldn’t be used safely more than once (if at all), caused allergic reactions, and did little to protect the wearer from airborne diseases. In what would go on to change healthcare worldwide, Nderitu left his position in 2011 to create Nano Mask, a high-tech surgical mask that is so effective it could change how we treat airborne viruses forever. Young Cameroonian programmer and student, Xaviera Kowo has designed an ecological robot to curb waste collection problem and help communities in Dikome Village in Douala. The robot which automatically picks up waste in public spaces and deposits it in bins, recycling centres , and other processing sites was invented by Kowo during the First Global international robotics competition where she represented her home country. In March this year, Kowo’s invention won her the Margaret Award in the junior Africa category.
Fifthly, Africans must develop self-confidence and project their rich contents and ideas to the world, citizens should be ready to tell their unique stories to the point where it begins to create a mental picture of success and greatness in the minds of those who are not Africans and haven’t got the opportunity to interact with African contents on a deeper level. As an African be confident of the value you are bringing to the global stage, be confident in your journey of becoming especially in the area of personal development, be confident in your message do not relent as the global stage is not for the faint hearted. Furthermore, globalization should not be taken for granted because it is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies and countries in different parts of the world. There are clear benefits to be gained from faster trade and international investment. These can also help countries around the globe remain competitive in today’s global economy, and African nations are not excluded. Moreover, African youths should be encouraged to take part in politics as well as key leadership positions and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development, if Emmanuel Macron of France can become the president at 39 then it should be a great example of what youths can do and should not be underestimated.
Conclusively, the African government needs to up their game by providing an enabling environment to enable its citizens to express their creativity, compete in the global stage, do away with exclusion especially on the side of women, yes women should be allowed to express their creativity too in tech, education, politics etc. Youths should be totally involved in activities that will help skyrocket the African economy, children should equally be carried along for when it comes to changing the African narrative all and sundry should be involved.
