Last week saw an official state visit to the UK, by the Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubum, the first such visit since 1989. Even though it went with all of the pomp and circumstance that this country is good at, it didn’t set the news channels on fire. These things rarely do. Africa is a forgotten continent.
With all the news in the Middle East, it is very rare that you hear anything from Africa, even though it is made up of more than fifty countries. Something must be happening.
We occasionally hear about the war in Sudan, or the horrors of Boko Haram, yet where is the good news?
The estimated population of Nigeria in 2026 is over 242 million people (four times that of the UK) or just under 3% of the global population. It ranks sixth in the list of countries and dependencies by population. By the end of this century the ten largest cities in the world will be in Africa yet you wouldn’t know. Despite our long colonial history, we rarely hear anything good or bad.
This needs to change and I was interested, therefore, to come across a podcast Spotlight on Africa from Radio France International which sets out to address some of this imbalance. The podcast is in English and there are probably similar offerings from this country yet it was refreshing to be able to hear news and opinion by Africans from Africa.
The world is in a mess. Old allegiances are crumbling and new orders appear to be emerging. The United States seems determined to rid itself of its global hegemony while China is doing its best to spread its influence wherever it can and old Europe is struggling to get its head around the new world order. Meanwhile Africa continues to grow.
The UK should take the continent more seriously. Many of the countries speak English, are in similar time zones and are rich in rare earth minerals that are going to set the tone for industry over the next century (if we live that long).
We need more news out of Africa.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 