Ayé Africa eh, Oh Africa oh dipanda
Ayé Africa eh, Oh Africa oh liberté
Franklin Boukaka, Manu Dibango – Le Bucheron.
In March, we marked one year since the demise of Manu Dibango, the producer and co-composer of the above song. Manu, like most of Africa´s leading artists in the period was a furious Pan-Africanist. The ballad, composed in 1970 and viewed by many as the late Franklin Boukaka tour de force, was a complaint about the state of Africa, its governance and treatment of the poor, the refrain lamenting “Oh, Africa, where is your independence? where is your liberty?
Much has changed since then.
Today happens to be Africa Day. A day where we celebrated the formation of the Organization of Africa Unity (now Africa Union) in 1963. Indeed, there is a ton to celebrate on this day, as 2021, has begun with lots of positive sentiment for Africa. We have Africans heading some of the most prominent multilateral bodies from the World Trade Organization to the International Finance Corporation. Africa has managed to wade through the coronavirus landmines with great tact and continues to deal with the consequences of the pandemic, better than most of the world expected. The continent is witnessing periods of calm with a mostly democratic transition of power.
I am a firm believer in the transformation of Africa within and by this generation. This sentiment was previously a dreamy subject matter of keynote speeches in Cotonou or the hallowed halls of the AU in Addis Ababa. Not anymore, my optimism, shared by Manu Dibango and his generation is increasingly finding a home in the hearts and minds of the African young. The spirit of Pan-Africanism emerged post-slavery and caught on during Africa´s colonization by Europeans. The ideas might not make sense to the 2021 Gen Z African but the spirit aimed at creating a sense of bond and collaboration among all people of African descent whether they lived in our outside of Africa carries on. I dare say, Pan-Africanism ideals have morphed and are shaping the revival of Africa´s renaissance nowhere more than in the emergence of African entrepreneurs in the technology space.
There is always something new out of Africa — Pliny the Elder
Technology is at the very centre of Africa´s current re-emergence. Technology companies are taking on the challenge and solving Africa´s problems with hyperlocal nuance now more than ever. Examples abound from improving outcomes in maternal health to addressing challenges in farm yields to frugal innovation in manufacturing. Merchants and small business form the bulk of Africa´s trade corridors but for a long time financially excluded but significant changes are seeing millions access the much needed financial services by the day.
Having worked across the continent for a fast-growing technology company, I have found it interesting that technology companies tend to view the entire continent as their playground, choosing to rapidly expand in markets away from their home base. The uniqueness of the challenges technology can solve is seemingly the same!
A growing sentiment has been on Africa´s capability to leap over the 1st, 2nd and straight to the 3rd and 4th powered by technology solutions. Whilst I admire this self-belief, I am inclined to say, we are as a continent experiencing all these revolutions concurrently. This has, of course, led to gaps and lapses, which in my sense is a glass half full, where technology is muscling and fixing the gaps across the strata. It is with the hope that stakeholders such as the government, legacy industries among others will play catch up. Indeed, if this potential in emerging technologies is harnessed, it could challenge the lack of infrastructure problem currently witnessed. I do not see technology as the silver bullet to solving issues in governance, income inequality but it will for sure catalyze the transformation of the continent.
The Africa Project Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Vieux Diop dreamt and sang about will actualize, perhaps within this generation but definitely by this generation.
