Build Africa Blueprint|The One Resource That Unlocks All Others

The fate of Africa is in the hands of Africans.

If you’re a son or daughter of Africa, you might seem small in your eyes but God gave you what you need to transform your life and that of others in significant ways as we shall see in this three-part series on building our continent.

Africa needs you whether you’re in or outside Africa. These three articles may taste like a bitter pill in your mouth but when they get into the bloodstream of your thinking, they’ll bring healing and strength, so we can transform the lives of our people, together.

Africa is our house to build despite the challenges and opposition we face. Each of us has a responsibility to contribute a brick and use whatever we have to make our Africa productive and enjoyable for us and future generations.

For many years I lamented about the plight of Africans. I blamed fishy government officials, former colonizers, false spiritual leaders and a faulty education system.

Then it dawned on me; I’m powerless to change or influence any of the above people and issues. The only power and responsibility God gave me is to change myself, serve people and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way.

Truth be told, our enemies of progress, within and without, will not stop pursuing us – because they desperately crave what we have. Despite their actions, we need to strive to live and thrive wherever we are and use whatever we have.

Remember the world hasn’t and will never be fair as long as men and women who have no fear of God rule the world. For this reason, we shouldn’t be surprised by the evils we see around us. Let us not fall into the trap of hating and seeking revenge on anyone.

Why is that important?

Because hate hurts the bearer more than the hated. The key to freedom is to forgive and do good even to our enemies because they don’t know better. “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

If they had known how precious and dignified human life is and how much God cares about people, they’d have done what’s best for you and others. You can show them love though they don’t deserve it. (If you’re not a true Christian, this won’t make sense.)

I’m now convinced that no government, organization or external force can solve all the problems of Africa. Our salvation is not from out there but from within Africa, starting with you and me.

This is a call for every African, in every country and every sector, to arise and make a difference with whatever little or much God has given them to serve any person they can.

And what should be our motivation to build Africa? Is it to compete with other continents or get ahead of them? Is it to prove how bright and strong we are? Is it to amass wealth for ourselves and our families?

No.

Our motivation should be to help, lift and give hope to our brothers and sisters who are languishing in poverty, illiteracy, hunger, joblessness, prisons and hospitals. Ending or alleviating their suffering should be what keeps us working, thinking and collaborating to find sustainable solutions.

The purpose of our lives is to love God and love people. All else we achieve and possess will end the day we die. But what Christians invest in the lives of others will live on and on, and bring a reward in eternity.

Find out more about knowing the purpose and assignment of life here; WHY AM I HERE?|Know The Purpose & Assignment of Your Life

Thank You

As Pass On Leadership Africa, we thank every African who works hard and smart each day to take care of their families, relatives and any other people they support. You’re the silent and unsung hero in our generation.

We thank churches, ministries, companies, NGOs and government initiatives that are making tremendous contributions to the building of our continent. Keep it up.

We’re also grateful to genuine and well-intentioned foreigners who care and contribute their time and resources to serve our people.

Building Africa Blueprint

To build and transform Africa we need two things.

First, every African needs to learn and manifest five spirits; learning, servanthood, excellence, integrity and unity. The next article will focus on each one.

Second, every African needs to use whatever they have to improve their lives and serve fellow Africans. God has given us one or more of these; talents, education, skills, social capital, religion, politics, money, business and possessions. In our final article, we shall discuss how to make the most of whatever much or little we have.

Africa’s Greatest Resource Is Our People

Yes, Africa is rich in land, minerals, water and great climate.

“Africa is home to some 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves, eight per cent of the world’s natural Gas and 12 per cent of the world’s oil reserves.  The continent has 40 percent of the world’s gold and up to 90 percent of its chromium and platinum. The largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium in the world are in Africa. It holds 65 per cent of the world’s arable land and ten percent of the planet’s internal renewable fresh water source.”[1]

That’s awesome. Sadly, that natural wealth hasn’t translated into our development and prosperity for the majority.

One reason is that we haven’t harnessed the potential of our human capital.

Our greatest asset is our people – the old with their wisdom and knowledge of our history and the young with their strength, creativity and hope. Every life – one that has just been conceived and the very old person – matters.

Sadly, our brothers and sisters face racism and discrimination in other continents yet we’re as bright and valuable as anyone else in the world given opportunity. We should not be weighed down by people who despise us. They’re ignorant and should not distract us from our goal.

“It is not what you are called, but what you answer to.”[2] African Proverb

Because people matter to God, they should matter to us. Every living soul – born or unborn – is precious and deserves to be protected and nurtured to fulfil its purpose and assignment on earth.

Our human capital is the strength of Africa. In fact, we have enough labour to produce all we need and supply the world, and even export trained labour to nations with dwindling and ageing populations.

Some of our African brothers and sisters have distinguished themselves in international sports, music, acting, medicine and many other sectors. We’re capable as much as other people in the world.

But I’m afraid we’re not investing enough time, money and resources to develop our people, especially the youth. Investors are slow to invest in some of our countries because our workers lack the capacity and competence to deliver at international standards.

As Pass On Leadership Africa, we call upon every family, church, community, company or NGO to set aside time every week and resources to equip their people with life and leadership skills.

Read more about these skills; 7+ Must-Have Skills For Success | Not Fully Taught In School & Church

Developed countries focus on practical education and invest in research. Their inventions and innovations have transformed their nations.

Some Africans Are Selfish & Shortsighted

First, we still see each other through the lens of our clans, tribes or countries yet other continents see us as Africans. Such a narrow perspective brews wars, conflicts, coups and nepotism among others, thus hindering our collective progress.

Second, some of our leaders at different levels of society are detached from the living conditions of their followers. They think their brilliance and hard work have made them successful and those in need should do something for themselves to get out of their problems. They fail to see that it’s by God’s grace they’ve achieved what they have and God has blessed them to be a blessing to those who’ve not had similar opportunities.

Read more about the duties of government officials; Love Or Hate Them|God Appoints Government Officials For 5 Divine Duties

Third, some of us take our children to expensive private or international schools while children in our villages or communities are not going to school or their schools are falling apart and we’re doing nothing about it! Unknowingly, some parents have sold the souls of their children by sending them to study abroad where they adopt a different culture and ungodly ways.

Fourth, the few among us who become rich, build mansions and drive expensive cars as a sign of ‘arriving’ among the successful yet someone in in their church or among their relatives is sleeping hungry, dying in hospital or is homeless. Why should people from abroad carry the big burden of our orphans and widows? Have we forgotten what true religion is?

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:27)

What excuse shall we give God on Judgment Day? (Romans 14:12)

Most of us think we’re generous but if we investigated our financial books, we’d come to the shocking realization that we give cramps, coins or leftovers to help others after spending everything else on our self-pleasure, self-preservation and self-aggrandization.

“But generous people plan to do what is generous and they stand firm in their generosity.” (Isaiah 32:8)

Life is not about us. Life is about God and others.

Our earthly achievements and possessions won’t matter that much when we die. That’s why Jesus taught us to use worldly wealth to make friends and store our treasures in heaven by serving people. (Luke 16:9)

Read more about the reality of death and how to prepare for it in this article; 8 Ways To Prepare For Death & Eternity|Not Everyone Rests In Peace

We need compassion that acts on people’s concerns or cares. We need to set up charity foundations that will outlive us.

Nobody can ever be happy and fulfilled until they find a way to serve the needy who can’t repay them.

Strategic Focus On The Youth

Africa has the youngest population in the world. “By 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42 percent of the world’s youth and account for 75 percent of those under age 35 in Africa.”[3]

That’s a big opportunity or a huge problem.

We can’t afford to neglect the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of young people. Regrettably, most parents are busy working to feed and pay school fees, pastors focus on church members with the financial muscle to support their ministries and politicians make little effort to invest in the youth.

The best way to know someone’s priority is to follow the trail of their expenses. Now that the majority of our population is youth, shouldn’t the biggest expenditure of our churches, companies and countries be dedicated to issues facing the youth?

The consequence of neglecting young people drives them to seek comfort and pass time on movies, series, soaps, social media and the internet. Some engage in drugs, alcohol, gambling, betting, sexual immorality, stealing and now homosexuality.

We can’t blame the youth for these behaviours because the adults who should be responsible for them have failed them. May God have mercy on us.

Think about this. It seems parents are better off when their children are in boarding schools as they work to provide for them. When they come home from school, parents are still too busy to have time for them, so they leave them with househelps or send them to relatives. Because of this, they grow up with an emotional disconnection from their parents whom they can’t confide in at the crucial time of their teenage years.

Check out this article on  Time is The Currency Of Love|9 Pillars Of Building A Flourishing Family

In the next 100 years, we won’t be alive but the systems and structures we build today can serve coming generations.

Everyone and every organization must have a strategy to equip, empower and encourage the youth. That should be our personal and corporate social responsibility. We must start and support causes that train and mentor our youth with life and leadership skills so they can deliver value at their jobs and as they create jobs.

As a person, church or company, how are you impacting the youth? Do you know the challenges of the youth? How are you contributing to preparing them for the world after school? In what ways can you disciple, mentor, train or coach a young person?

Any organization that has a long-term strategy must find a way to serve the youth. They must touch their hearts when they’re still in school or university so they can be loyal clients when they start earning. Companies that deal in vices know this secret, and that’s why they target our youth in secondary schools and universities. They’re creating lifetime clients!

In the next article, we shall tackle the 5 Spirits Every African Needs To Build Africa & Influence the World.

Thank you for reading this article. I welcome your comments and questions below – as iron sharpens iron, let’s sharpen each other.

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At Pass On Leadership Africa, our MISSION is to equip, mentor and coach Christian leaders and youth workers to facilitate the holistic transformation of the youth so they can thrive, serve and drive forward their churches, companies, communities and countries.

Our VISION is to see a movement of passionate trainers transforming the lives of the youth everywhere.

Please pray with us. We need God’s wisdom, provision and grace to train trainers and raise funds to accomplish the ministry He has entrusted to us. To learn more about how you can participate and invest in our work, please visit our Support page.

If you’d like to be trained and join our team of trainers, Register HERE.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[1] https://www.unep.org/regions/africa/our-work-africa. Accessed 15/09/2023

[2] https://www.listofproverbs.com/source/a/african_proverb/62709.htm. Accessed 3/4/2024

[3] https://www.prb.org/resources/africas-future-youth-and-the-data-defining-their-lives/ Accessed 15/09/2023