How to Break the Cycle of African Coups
Getting to the Root Cause of Violence and Instability
In advertising, a product is only as good as its story.
That’s why it breaks my heart that Africa’s story continues to be threaded with military coups and civil unrest. Just look at Niger and Gabon's recent coups, a stark reminder of rising tensions.
I get it, really, I do. I understand why some disenfranchised African youths might view such coups as a beacon of change.
Our nations are a paradox: brimming with rich natural resources, yet steeped in poverty. This glaring discrepancy fuels frustration and resentment among a significant group of African youth, making them ripe for violence.
I say to the African youth: Coups and civil wars are not the path to lasting change. History has shown us this, time and time again.
So, let's ask the trillion-dollar question:
How do we pave the path to prosperity for every African nation and break the cycle of coups, once and for all?
(I'll tell you right now, it's not through civil wars or more coups.)
In order to solve the problem, we must understand what’s creating it in the first place. We must attack the root cause.
African leaders selling off our resources is NOT the primary cancer. Yes, it's a problem, but it's not the whole story.
The real source of the problem: African nations grapple with the world’s MOST challenging business environments.
This is what is keeping us in a state of poverty and corruption. This is what allows us to be taken advantage of, over and over. And this is what breeds an environment where violent uprisings become the norm.
We will break the cycle of coups in Africa when we achieve prosperity. And we can only achieve prosperity by creating better business environments.
I'm a firm believer in the power of entrepreneurship. Thriving economies are a complex web of enterprises, employees, suppliers, consultants, and above all, consumers. If we don’t create ecosystems that will allow entrepreneurs to thrive, then our economies will continue to falter.
Let’s quit playing the blame game with the West and corrupt African leaders and stop wallowing in a victim narrative. Let's channel that energy into creating an environment that fosters prosperity—an environment paved by economic freedom and entrepreneurship.
What we need is a narrative shift, a spotlight on the real root cause and real solutions, on making our nations more business-friendly, igniting entrepreneurial success, and fueling economic growth.
—Magatte Wade
Countries like Rwanda are already taking strides, focusing on reforms that enhance their business environments.
Rwanda’s economy grew by 9.2% in the first quarter of 2023—outstripping their already impressive 7.2% average over the preceding decade—and Rwanda is on track to reach Middle Income Country status by 2035 and High-Income Country status by 2050.
That’s the future I want to see for ALL of Africa. In fact, I dare say it's the future we all need to see for Africa.
The task is Herculean, but not impossible if we stop relying on broken systems and outdated strategies. Coups are unnecessary disruptions that hit common citizens the hardest. Instead, it’s time to implement reforms that encourage businesses to bloom, foster economic freedom, and nurture entrepreneurial talent that's lying dormant in our nations.
I dream of an Africa where our youths see exciting, rewarding opportunities in every African nation, rather than an uncertain future over the Mediterranean Sea or behind the wheels of an Uber in some Western city.
To see this dream become a reality, we don’t need to throw money at the problem; we simply need a business environment that provides equal opportunities for all, a system that celebrates success and encourages risk-taking.
Here’s the irony: the keys to Africa's prosperity lie within Africa itself. It's in the hands of our entrepreneurs, our thinkers, our youth. They're the ones who can unravel the red tape, push for necessary reforms, and help our nations rise to prosperity.
It’s time we rewrite Africa’s story, showcasing it as the burgeoning, thriving, entrepreneurial powerhouse it can be. The sooner we flip the script, the sooner we can say goodbye to the ghosts of coups past and welcome the dawn of prosperity.
Start up cities here we come!!!
Magatte it's important to take into account that the majority of modern coup d'état infact if I am not wrong all of the coups in the last 5 years have been done without blood shed. Mali has had 2 since 2020 and now they have a leader their people are happy with and are working together for the greater good, they just had a referendum and it was swept through with an overwhelming majority.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré du Burkina has given direction to a country with a huge youth population that was typically led by over weight bureaucrats that did the bidding of France. These are facts even I was surprised to unearth il faut seulement regarder RT Burkina et écouter comment il parle, Il a une sagesse que l'on ne peut acquérir que par l'expérience
He Has called the nation to go to work and pay their taxes so they can protect their motherland. He is making it easier for les orpailleurs to do work and we ourselves are headed there to do business with them, pay them. Un local currency and sell their products into the west and Inshallah we will get to meet this 35 year old young lion that sits at the front of the table telling the old lions how it's done.
Without his actions Burkina would be in the same situation under foreign control and the people of Mali and Guinea-Bissau would not have an extra force of strength behind them. That there is the conundrum that Africa is facing right now because ça marche.
I agree with what you say re we must change the face of Africa however our former colonial powers and the despots they have put in place only seem to understand one language in Spanish we say "plata o plomo".