What if the Russian-Ukrainian crisis gave a boost to African integration?

Positive Minds | Positive Stories | Edition 029

My mother is from the Kayes region in western Mali. The people of Kayes are mostly Malinke, who are known to be the holders of the secret of speech from the Empire of Mali to the present day. My mother is no exception. She did not go to the white man's school, but she is not illiterate. She has a library of proverbs and sayings buried in her brain. She has one for every situation, even the most incongruous. She has an incredible ability to say a lot in a few words.

Of the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis on Africa, she would certainly say this:

"One person drinks and another person plays the drunk". In other words, being the victim of the sin of someone you don't know from Eve or Adam.

Africa, a collateral victim of a crisis so far from its borders but whose consequences are so close.

If we are to believe the analysts and self-proclaimed experts on Ukraine and Russia, who go on like a string of beads on TV and radio, a dark fate awaits Africa.

They —and I mean these experts— are once again predicting the worse for Africa, just as they did with Covid-19 when the virus was still light years away from the continent's shores. With Covid-19, they predicted doom and gloom for Africa. They were wrong. But since their preferred vocabulary is conditional with ifs here and ifs there, they always leave themselves a way out in case their apocalyptic predictions do not materialise.

They —experts of Syria and Yemen yesterday and of Ukraine and Russia today— have pulled out their crystal balls to predict Africa's future. They swear, hand on chest and palm open, that this time they are telling the truth and nothing but the truth. Thus, according to them, Africa would soon lack everything: food, oil, and money. The hungry and thirsty would number in the millions. Millions of people will fall into poverty. Conflicts and crises would intensify. In short, a hopeless and bleak picture.

The worst part is that our own African 'experts' are blowing the same whistle, reinforcing the narrative of a continent that is still dependent more than 60 years after the sun of independence.

It is high time that Africa and Africans write their own narrative. Our continent has the talent, resources and institutions to do so. The Russian-Ukrainian crisis offers us the opportunity. We must therefore exploit it. As my mother would say,

"If someone doesn't lose his goat, someone else won't be able to enjoy a good spicy meat soup".

A triple lever to rewrite Africa's narrative

Firstly, Africa needs to harness its demographic growth. It is a fact; that all continents are ageing at a rapid pace; except Africa which is getting younger. Today, it is estimated that 77 percent of Africans are younger than 35, or nearly 8 out of 10 Africans. By 2050, two out of five children will be born in Africa. Africa will account for 80% of the projected 4 billion increase in world population by 2100. The malicious tongues and enemies of Africa will tell you that this population surge is a curse and a threat. It is up to Africa and Africans to turn it into a blessing and an opportunity.

Secondly, Africa needs to transform its economy, especially its agriculture. Africa is a real paradox. 80% of its population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. It has massive, albeit untapped, arable land, more than any other continent in the world. It sits atop some of the world's largest aquifers and has three of the world's largest rivers: the Niger, the Congo and the Nile. Yet it imports 30% of its wheat consumption from Ukraine and Russia. No wonder why our self-proclaimed experts are predicting imminent famine in Africa on TV across the world.

It is high time for Africa to launch its green revolution and transform its agriculture to achieve food self-sufficiency. Africa must produce, process, consume and market its agricultural production. The time has come to breathe new life into the doctrine of the late President Thomas Sankara, the father of the Burkinabe revolution:

"Let us produce what we consume; let us consume what we produce.

This does not only apply to what we eat. It also applies to our energy, our education, our democracy, our art and culture, and our lifestyle. This is what will give real meaning to the word 'independence'.

Thirdly, Africa must strengthen free trade and free movement between its countries. To achieve this, the continent must tap into the enormous potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Indeed, the AfCFTA will create the largest free trade area in the world, measured by the number of participating countries. According to the World Bank, it could bring Africa an additional $450 billion in revenue, or a 7% increase in GDP, and lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty. As of December 2020, the AfCFTA was signed by all 55 countries except Eritrea and ratified by 34, paving the way for its implementation. More than ever, African leaders need to put in place the policy reforms and trade facilitation measures to translate the vision of the AfCFTA into reality.

But listen carefully. Africa's enemies will argue, with [their] evidence to support their claims, that young people are more of a threat to our continent than an opportunity. They will claim that Africa can never feed itself despite its agricultural potential. They will say that the AfCFTA is a white elephant because greed, corruption, bad governance and leadership rivalry will kill it on the starting block.

As a pan-Africanist at heart and soul, I tell them that I believe in the youth of Africa. I believe in Africa's will and capacity to transform its agriculture and economy. I believe in African leaders in making the AfCFTA the largest free trade area in the world, linking 1.3 billion people across 55 countries.

All we are asking —or should I say all we are demanding— is to let us decide for ourselves, to let us make our own choices in the interest of the daughters and sons of Africa.