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

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

Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo informed a gathering of world scholars and professionals 3 importance things that they should know about Africa.

Some of the issues addressed include how Pan-Africanism made making billions easy for businessmen in Africa. Others are the role of the Internet and the fact that Africa is not a country.

Osinbajo disclosed these and other issues during a lecture titled: 'Africa Rising, understanding business, entrepreneurship, and the complexities of a continent' at Harvard University on Tuesday, January 16, 2017.

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

Here are 3 important themes of his message to the world about Africa.

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 has been a pivot tool for economic improvements in Africa since the last decade. It has made making billions easier for many African 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 Aliko Dangote, Issad Reb Rab (Cevital), Mike Adenuga, Kim Bello-Osagie, the Sawiris owners of Orascom from Egypt, and mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, 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 said Africa cannot do without Internet as most of the creative ingenuity of African businessmen and women are 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 an important issue of misconception about Africa. He said Africa is not a country, hence there should not be uniformity in policy suggestion to the region.

"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."

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