The real leaders at the Obama-African summit
One result in a new survey called the 鈥淕lobal Youth Wellbeing Index鈥� hardly fits a common perception of Africa. Young Africans today, the survey found, are more optimistic than young Americans. This youthful hope is one reason why President Obama is playing host to nearly 50 African leaders at a summit this week in Washington.
The summit is mainly focused on ways to expand trade and investment with Africa 鈥� a welcome change from the past emphasis on foreign aid. But Africa鈥檚 future may depend less on economics and more on its so-called demographic dividend, or the fact that Africa has the largest 鈥測outh bulge鈥� in the world.
About a quarter of the world鈥檚 population is under age 15, but in Africa, the number is 40 percent. By 2030, nearly 1 in 4 young people on the planet will be in Africa. And today鈥檚 young Africans are already rapidly joining the digital revolution. They are more advanced than those in most countries in using mobile devices for cashless money transfers. In fact, although most Africans still live without electricity, they have more mobile devices than toothbrushes.
The continent鈥檚 young people also have a different attitude than previous generations. In a new book, 鈥淭he Bright Continent,鈥� Nigerian-American journalist Dayo Olopade quotes a former Nigerian education minister as saying African youth do not carry 鈥渢he albatross of failure.鈥�
鈥淭he youthful population in Africa today had no idea of colonialism 鈥� it鈥檚 story to them,鈥� says Obiageli Ezekwesili. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 know military rule 鈥� it鈥檚 strange to them. They are intolerant of poor performance 鈥� they don鈥檛 understand why that should be their lot.鈥�
When Google鈥檚 executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, recently toured Africa, he was impressed both by its youth and their capacity to jump into the Digital Age. 鈥淭he demographic dividend in Africa of young people is their greatest hope,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his new generation expects more, and will use mobile computing to get it.鈥�
When Mr. Obama set up a program in 2010 to train young African leaders, more than 50,000 applied. In her book, Ms. Olopade cites the concept of kanju, an African word that suggests an ability to be innovative in difficult situations. Indeed, while nearly two-thirds of Africans live in countries deemed 鈥渇ree鈥� or at least 鈥減artly free,鈥� most young people still work in agriculture. They are hungry to connect, and they demand better governance.
Olopade writes that Africa鈥檚 current strength is the fact that 鈥渢he most vibrant, authentic, and economically significant interactions are between individuals and decentralized groups,鈥� such as those in civil society.
So while the three-day summit in Washington may result in more business and trade for Africa 鈥� and jobs for young people 鈥� the real dynamism lies in African youth. Their size and their creative uses of new technology are driving the continent鈥檚 future.
