A Glimpse into the Future of Africa-From Peaceful Protest to Violent Takeover, A Prediction from a Son of the Soil

Africa today has become in the words of former British prime Minister Tony Blair as a scar on the conscience of humanity.

Today in Africa whether you live in Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan, Mali, South Africa, Togo, Burkina Faso or even Burundi, the story of Africa is one and the same. We are Confronted today with an Africa where over 70% of the youth give or take are willing to do anything possible to flee what they believe to be a miserable continent.

We are confronted today with an Africa, where thousands of Africans die every year in the Mediterranean Sea around the island of Lampedusa, because they were running away from Africa.

We are confronted today with an Africa where most of the youth are unemployed and those who are lucky to get jobs are underemployed.

On the 18 of October 2021, the minister of Finance in Ghana announced that the government payroll was full and that the youth should venture into entrepreneurship.

The tragedy and irony at once is that the system has made it very difficult if not impossible for a daring youth to start and sustain a business here in Africa. Let's take Ghana for an example. Try to start a pure water manufacturing business which is quite a capital-intensive project knowing very well that 90 % of Banks will not fund a start-up, so let's assume that a young Ghanaian has been able to raise some capital to acquire the machinery needed to begin production. Even before he/she has started production or made a pesewa in profits the kind of government systems put in place to collapse the business before take-off are listed below.

1. EPA will chase the young entrepreneur to pay money to obtain a business permit before he starts production.

2. Fire Service will chase the young entrepreneur to pay for fire certificate

3. Food and Drugs board will chase the young entrepreneur to pay money for accreditation.

4. Ghana standards Authority will chase the young entrepreneur.

5. Municipal Assembly or district assembly will chase the young entrepreneur to pay for permit even when he/she has barely started production without which they will lock down the business and halt production.

Little wonder most of the youth in Ghana and Africa have become Scammers.

However, we give concessions to Lebanese, Chinese and Indians to come and start and operate businesses in Ghana without paying taxes for 5 years and above. Little wonder they own the juiciest part of our cities whiles Africans occupy the slums.

Africa is a tragic continent. For a very long time the African politician has deceived the masses, they promise heaven on earth during campaign and election time and when they are given the opportunity they steal the wealth of the nation and save them in Swiss and other foreign Banks leaving the people to die of poverty, disease and affliction.

In the words of PLO Lumumba when our leaders are sick in Africa depending on which country colonized them, if they were colonized by the British they rush to London, if they were colonized by the French they run to Paris, if they were colonized by the Spanish they run to Madrid Spain, because our leaders have no faith in our health system since they have refused to invest in the health system.

They have created what they call Free Education but again in the words of PLO Lumumba it is free indeed free of knowledge, because they are so suspicious of those institutions that the typical African politician will not dare take their children to those schools, their children will rather be educated in the British system, in the American system, not that there is anything wrong with those institutions, but the agenda is wrong because our leaders long lost the script and ought not to be described as leaders but mis leaders.

The three Stages of the African youth Awakening. A Prediction of the son of the soil.

1. The Stage of Awareness. For decades the African youth have been deceived by politicians with promises of a better life, jobs, good roads and infrastructure, social amenities and good healthcare. But when our leaders are elected into political offices, they become rich overnight because politics today has become the easiest way to make ill-gotten wealth in Africa. The youth have become quite decerning and are beginning to realise that they have to take their destinies into their own hands or else things will not change.

2. The Stage of Rebellion and Social media protest. In Ghana it is described as fix the country, where the youth have taken over social media to Insult leaders. The youth are beginning to demand for their rights and the need to set a clear national development plan for the development of the country and not to allow their countries to be ruled by political party manifestos which are more aligned to the interest of the political party in power than the national Interest.

3.The stage of takeover. As in the case of Mali and Guinea which have experienced coup d’états, many countries are likely to follow suit if the plights of the youth are not adhered to. Due to the rising unemployment and high cost of living, there will come a time where the youth who will have nothing to lose and will begin to pick up arms and take their destinies into their hands. The youth at this stage will lose confidence in the educational system since all evidence points out to the fact that a good education does no guarantee a good standard of living except an individual’s affiliation to a political party or connections.

The Way Forward for Africa

It is very disheartening that in the 21^st century, Africa still exports gold, cocoa, diamond, timber and agricultural produce in their raw state instead of adding value to them and exporting at a premium. By exporting our products in their raw state, we are creating jobs for already developed economies whiles deepening the high level of poverty in Africa. We need to create industries to add value our products which will in turn create jobs and reduce poverty.

Additionally, governments should create the enabling environment for the youth to engage in entrepreneurial activities by measures such as lifting the burden of taxation for a minimum of 5 years from the onset of the business. The youth should be given access to credit facilities to grow and expand their business since access to credit is one of the major constraints young businesses face in their quest to scale up.

African governments must learn to support their own entrepreneurs by patronising their goods instead of exchanging the tax payers money for goods and services which can be produced at home. A typical example in Ghana is Kantanka, a genius who produces high quality automobiles, and yet our government prefers to import luxury Toyota V8 vehicles abroad instead of buying made in Ghana. This gross show of non-appreciation for entrepreneurial efforts by our leaders has killed the dreams of many to be entrepreneurs, since our very own governments prefer foreign made goods to goods made in Africa. They show support only in rhetoric and not in action.

The future of Africa lies in the hands of the youth, it is either you involve them by creating a better future for them or they will take it by force. Because when they are hungry, they will eat from every plate whether invited or uninvited

Joseph Atchulo

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