40 •
The Lion King
• July - September 2017
Feature
By Nestor A. K. KOUNAKE
S
ince the second half of
the last century, there has
been a paradigm shift in
the realities, perception and
the narrative of the moth-
er of all continents: Africa.
Once perceived as the land
of the subhumans, chaos and
doom, the oldest of all conti-
nents gradually emerged from its
perceived under-development to be
regarded as developing and beyond,
from a land only worthy of being
stripped of its riches to a choice invest-
ment haven, from its days of slavery to
the most courted trade partner, from
its perception as a hostile land to a
preferred tourist destination, from the
narrative of an outcast to the beloved
child: the new frontier.
This positive shift was the result of the
following combined factors.
Africa is the world’s second largest
and most-populous continent with a
population of over 1.2 billion, which
is expected to exceed 1.4 billion by
the year 2022. With a median age of
around 19.7 against 30.4 worldwide
and more than half the population
under 25 years of age, more and more
educated, skilled, engaged, entrepre-
neurial and prosperous, Africa’s popu-
lation is the youngest amongst all the
continents, which is an important fac-
tor for development, making Africa
the new frontier for all-round growth.
In the year 1960, Africa’s long walk
to freedom finally gave birth to the
revolutionary cycle of independence
which saw Africa embrace the culture
of self-determination and control of
its own destiny. Ever since, has been
entrenched across the birthplace of
humanity a culture of democracy and
peaceful transfer of power resulting in
the continent gradually becoming an
oasis of stability and peace in a world
ravaged by terror, making Africa the
new frontier of peace and stability.
The promising economic fundamen-
esque landscapes, the unique his-
torical and tourist sites, the shiny sun,
the improving transportation systems,
infrastructures and net-
work, etc. have made
Africa the new frontier
for tourism and global
events.
Africa has also produced
great key change-makers
in global political arena like
Nelson Mandela, in the glob-
al business arena like Tony
Elumelu with his concept
of Africapitalism and many
others who represent cata-
lysts for change and the
development of the conti-
nent and a great source of
inspiration for Africans at home
and abroad, making Africa the new
frontier for transformative ideas and
initiatives.
Also the media, especially African
media telling Africa’s story from
Africa’s perspective by Africans, have
helped to reposition Africa’s narrative
globally.
Africa has come a long way since
the days of slavery, colonization and
exploitation of all kinds and the era
of the independence. We are there-
fore urged to reflect on the journey
so far, the successes, the failures and
the mistakes, draw objective conse-
quences and use the lessons as win-
ning weapons for present and future
battles as the journey goes on, better
and better.
All Africans need to remain conscious
of the undeniable existing social, eco-
nomic, political and governance chal-
lenges and necessary structural and
institutional adjustments, and consider
themselves as agents of change and
solution providers for major positive
changes and developments in order
to maintain Africa as the frontier of
today and tomorrow’s world.
Africa, the new frontier
t a l s
over the
r e c e n t
years, such
as
steady
GDP rates
and
pro-
d u c t i v -
ity growth,
a
growing
labour force,
an
acceler-
ated urbanisa-
tion rate, a ris-
i n g
technology penetration, e t c . ,
have contributed in making Africa the
new frontier for business.
African countries are constantly striv-
ing to make key political, econom-
ic and fiscal policies attractive, the
government machinery and bureau-
cracy, the legal and judicial systems
and governance lean, simple, effec-
tive, efficient and transparent in order
to remain relevant and competitive,
making Africa the new frontier for all
human endeavours.
The African banking and financial sec-
tor, with the vision, innovation and
leadership of Pan-African brands like
United Bank for Africa, the domestic
business environment and the supe-
rior return on investment across the
continent offer great optimism and
confidence that make Africa the new
frontier for investment.
Our continent is a land of hospitality,
welcoming and friendly to all, where
the simple life style and the improving
standards and quality of life, and the
rich and diverse cultures, the pictur-
