Only Time Will Tell What is to Happen to Africa Under Current Leadership

Adam Rosenbaum

World Lit H Period 1

Ms. Tompkins

March 13th, 2015

Only Time Will Tell What is to Happen to Africa Under Current Leadership

5 million Dollars over 10 years, and 200,000 each year until the day you die. Not a terrible deal. Most would certainly have a hard time turning such a prize down. And if one was in the running for the Mo Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership  they would certainly do all they could to secure such winnings. Yet in the 8 years since its creation in 2007, the award, supposed to be awarded yearly has only been given out 4 times. In 09,10,12,13, the committee decided no Africa Leaders were qualified to win the award. And further, not many are really clamoring to win it. Take a pic of the many supposed democratic regimes in africa-Bongo's Gabon, Biya's Cameroon, Chiluba's Zambia, Muluzi's Malawi, Moi's Kenya, Mugabe's Zimbabwe all have been fairly successful in embezzling money and resources from their respective areas of rule to amass such fortunes, the Mo Ibrahim Prize wouldn't make any dents in their bank accounts. Africa, while has abundant natural resources and land, a very young population, it is estimated “half the continent's population is under 19” (Ibrahim) said Mo Ibrahim at the annual Nelson Mandela lecture at Pretoria, the capital of South Africa. Africa has the potential to be a major production center in the world, thrusting revenue into the continent, “But to do that, we need good education and training to equip these youngsters for the future. Through that, Africa can become the future factory of the world."(Ibrahim) Ibrahim makes it clear he believes in the development of Africa and that the crux of the issue is bettering those at the helm. “We need good education and training to equip these youngsters for the future”(Ibrahim), but where will this education come from? An article on the struggles of developing africa by The Independent states that, “seven out of the 10 fastest growing economies in the last decade are African. Seven out of the world’s 10 most unequal countries are also on the continent.”(Guest) While Africa may be growing economically, the growth is happening only at the top. While the rich are getting richer, the poor are continuing to become poorer. As Africa looks and could become a major world Producer in the coming decades, ultimately it is out of our hands. All we can do is sit back and watch. Who knows what the future will hold? Maybe the Mo Ibrahim Prize will motivate a series of truly democratic governments and we see a whole different Africa! Only time will tell. Only time will tell.

Works Cited

Guest, Pete. "A Lack of Leadership in Africa Threatens Economic Progress." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.

Oatway, James. "Lack of Leadership in Africa: Ibrahim." Times LIVE. Times LIVE, 18 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.

Jones, Sam. "Robert Mugabe Assumes African Union Helm with Familiar Rallying Cry." Online Article. The Guardian, 30 Jan. 2015. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.