“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can
also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But
Stories can also repair that broken dignity.” -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Africa’s Greatest Promises and Greatest Challenges
Dr. Terza A. Silva Lima-Neves, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Johnson C. Smith University
A Presentation Prepared for World View 2017 Africa Seminar
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
March 28, 2017
Website: https://terzalimaneves.com/
Twitter: @DrTLimaNeves
Instagram: @kriolamommyscholar
Email: [email protected]
Presentation Overview
• The African region (map, countries, population, languages, ethnicity)
• Current Realities
• Focusing on Specific Themes: Education, Poverty/Hunger, Gender Equality
• A Vision of Africa Designed by Africans
• Making the case for African youth as change makers
• Resources for future considerations
A Conversation In Real Time
Let’s engage via Twitter
Twitter handles: @DrTLimaNeves --- @UNCWorldView
Use the following hashtags:
#UNCWorldViewAfrica
#NCAfrica
#AfricaNoSingleStory
Africa At A Glance
Second Largest Continent
Second most populous continent
Population: 1.2 billion (est.)
54 Countries
Most have only been independent states for 50 years
Largest: Algeria (North)
Smallest: Seychelles (Islands, Eastern Coast)
North: Mauritania, Lybia, Egypt
West: Guine-Bissau, Nigeria, Benin, Togo
South: Angola, Mozambique, South Africa
Central Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African
Republic
• Horn of Africa: Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti
• Islands: Madagascar, Comoros, Cabo Verde, Sao Tome and Principe,
Mauritius, Reunion
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Not a Single Story:
The People, The Languages, The Diversity
• More than 2,000 languages spoken
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Swahili (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda), Amharic (Ethiopia), Yoruba (Nigeria, Benin, Togo), Oromo
(Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia), Hausa (Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan), Igbo (Equatorial Guinea, Niger,
Cameroon), Zulu (South Africa), Shona (Zimbabwe), Portuguese (Cabo Verde, Angola, Mozambique),
French (Gabon, Cote D’Ivoire, DRC)
• More than 3,000 ethnic groups
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Central: Aka, Banda, Lingala, Mbundu
The Horn: Amhara, Oromo, Tigrinya, Sidama
North: Berbers, Maghrebis, Nubians
Southeast: Anuak, Hutu, Ganda, Tutsi
Southern: Ambo, Kalanga, Lemba, Nambya, Xhosa
West: Bambara, Esan, Fulani, Hausa, Ijaw, Mandinka, Yoruba, Wolof
“The single story creates
stereotypes and the problem
with stereotypes is not that
they are untrue but that they
are incomplete. They make
one story become the only
story.”
-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Current Realities for African Countries
The Good, The Bad and Everything In-Between
• Women are gaining access to political power but still face discriminatory practices as
well as lack of strategic effort on how African girls (and boys) are educated
• Reduction in rates of Tuberculosis and Malaria
• HIV/AIDS rates are declining from previous years
• Conflict areas have decreased but still cause great concern
• Improvements needed in sanitation facilities, access to clean water and electricity,
slum living conditions, access to internet and make it more available, affordable
• Population growth causes concerns in continental subregions
• More jobs but low quality particularly for young people
• Presence of weak institutions, persistent corruption, lack of strong infrastructure
• International partnerships: What to Make of China’s presence?
Focusing on Specific Themes: Education
• 20% increase in enrollment rates
• Youth literacy rates: Increase in last 20 years
• More girls attend primary school
• Enrollment for girls: increased from 48% to 77% - 1991-2015
• Enrollment for boys: 59% to 82% - 1991-2015
• 93 girls for every 100 boys
• Tertiary level enrollment for girls is still low
• Lack of resources leads to lack of innovation
Source: United Nations Development Program and Millennium Development Goals, mdgs.un.org
Focusing on Specific Themes:
Poverty and Hunger
• Population growth has led to continued poverty
• Although poverty rates are down, extreme poverty has not decreased
• Limited progress in hunger reduction in recent years
• Population growth makes this difficult
• Highest prevalence of undernourished people in the global perspective (23%)
• This varies by subregion: Northern, Southern, Western have met target goals
• Central Africa lags behind: impacted by population growth, environmental
issues, economic and political tensions
Source: United Nations Development Program and Millenium Development Goals, mdgs.un.org
Focusing on Specific Themes:
Gender Equality
• Access to Employment
• Women’s global access to paid employment in non-agricultural sector has slowly increased in
the past 20 years
• Impressive gains in Sub-Saharan Africa: an increase from 24% to 34% in the periods of 19902015
• African Women and Politics
• Globally, proportion of seats held by women in lowers houses of national parliament increased
from 13% in 2000 to 23% in 2015
• Europe dominated the top positions in world ranking in parliament
• March 2017: 7 of the 20 spots in world rankings are in Africa (Senegal, South Africa, Ethiopia,
Namibia, Mozambique, Angola); World top spot: RWANDA
• Biggest gains in 20 years: RWANDA: increase of 60% of parliament seats
• African female heads of states: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate);
Dr. Joyce Banda (former President of Malawi)
• First female leader of the African Union: Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini, 2013-2017 (South Africa)
Source: United Nations Development Program and Millenium Development Goals, mdgs.un.org
African Union Vision 2063:
“OUR ASPIRATIONS FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT”
• 1. A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development
• 2. An integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideals of PanAfricanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance
• 3. An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice
and the rule of law
• 4. A peaceful and secure Africa
• 5. An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values
and ethics
• 6. An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of
African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children
• 7. Africa as a strong, united and influential global player and partner
“Present generations are confident that the destiny of Africa is in their
hands, and that they must act now to shape the future they want. Fifty
years after the first thirty-three (33) independent African states took a
landmark decision to form the Organization of African Unity, we are
looking ahead towards the next fifty years.”
--Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, African Union Commission
And The Youth Shall Rise:
Making The Case for Young People as Africa’s Leaders
• World’s youngest continent
• All ten of the world’s youngest countries are in Africa
• Niger is the World’s youngest country (median age: 14.8)
• In order: Niger, Uganda, Chad, Angola, Mali, Somalia, Gambia, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and
Burkina Faso
• Young leaders demanded liberation and an end to colonial occupation (Amilcar Cabral, Cabo Verde/Guine-Bissau)
• The youth are agents of change in positively altering global perceptions of Africa in the media.
#TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou (Social Media Movement)
• African youth on the continent and abroad are committed to African development
• Africans countries and the international community have recognized the potential of African youth: African Union and
YALI (United States)
• Africa's Future Leaders Speak; Mpumi Nobiva: Graduate, Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa, Johnson C.
Smith University Alumni; Graduate student High Point University
Resources
• Nkosama Mafico (Entreperneur) - The Phenomenal Mindset of Africa’s Future Leaders:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nerg-Nx0f3c
• Minna Salami (Public speaker, blogger) - To Change the World, Change Your Illusions; website:
http://www.msafropolitan.com/
• Dambisa Moyo (Economist) - Is China the New Idol for Emerging Economies?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q2aznfmcYU&t=505s
• African Union Agenda 2063 (African organization):
http://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/pdf/au/agenda2063.pdf
• YALI: Young African Leaders Initiative - https://yali.state.gov/
• Websites: http://www.okayafrica.com/; http://africasacountry.com/; http://allafrica.com/;
www.thisisafrica.com
Obrigada! Thank You! Merci!
Dr. Terza A. Silva Lima-Neves, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Johnson C. Smith University
Let’s Stay in Touch
Website: https://terzalimaneves.com/
Twitter: @DrTLimaNeves
Instagram: @kriolamommyscholar
Email: [email protected]