3 things Nigeria’s vice president told the world about Africa

shakirudeen taiwo

January 18, 2018 11:08 AM

Professor Yemi Osinbajo told these facts to a gathering of global thought leaders, scholars and professionals at Harvard University.

Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has made a case for Africas growth during a lecture at Harvard University.

Osinbajo disclosed these and other issues during a lecture titled: 'Africa Rising, understanding business, entrepreneurship, and the complexities of a continent' at Harvard University.

“Africa Rising is as much about improving standards of governance as it is about increasingly confident youth and civil society,” he said.

Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa noted 3 themes from his speech.

1. Pan-Africanism has made making billions easier for people like Dangote, Mike Adenuga, the Sawiris and others

Osinbajo told the gathering that Pan-Africanism had been a pivotal tool for economic developments in Africa for a decade. It had made making billions easier for many ambitious entrepreneurs.

"It appears the political pan-Africanists of old have given way in terms of prominence to the business pan-Africanists of the likes of A, the owners of from , and mining magnate , among others," Osinbajo said.

2. Africa cannot do without Internet

Osinbajo said the Internet played important role in driving innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. He opined that Africa could not do without Internet as most of the creative ingenuity of African businessmen and women were anchored on this technology.

Osinbajo said: "phenomenal rise in Chinese resource bullishness, the commodities boom including new oil and gas discoveries in many African countries, digital technology, mobile phones and the Internet."

"We've been seeing the slow but steady maturing of institutions; press and civil society that are boldly taking advantage of the empowering nature of the internet...."

3. Africa is not a country and should never be seen as one

Nigeria’s vice president didn’t leave the podium without addressing the issue of misconception about Africa.

"The benefit of discarding the error of African Exceptionalism - belief that African countries were in some way exempted from the rules by which other countries and continents have succeeded…," Osinbajo said.

"Africa cannot afford to underestimate the power of technology to fast-track the continent's rise. Emerging technologies have played extraordinary roles in every aspect of the continent's most touted successes.

"Many - including Africans themselves - constantly need to be reminded that Africa is not a country. Policy-makers and development partners must understand that what worked in Rwanda or Zambia might not necessarily work in Ghana."

shakirudeen taiwo

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