African economic growth linked to entrepreneurship and strategic autonomy

Discussions regarding Africa's economic future emphasize the necessity of transitioning from resource potential to actual economic and political power through entrepreneurship and strategic autonomy.

In his book ‘Du chaos à l’essor’, Junior Mbuyi argues that African sovereignty depends on economic independence. Drawing on his experience in international finance, Mbuyi suggests a policy of pragmatic non-alignment, where African nations leverage global competition—such as the rivalry between the US and China and the rise of the BRICS—to secure diverse partnerships that serve their specific strategic interests.

At the BusinessDay Young Innovators Forum 2.0, Jamiu Adeyemi, director-general of the Lagos Youth Development Institute, highlighted that Africa's transformation relies on a new generation of problem-solving entrepreneurs. With 60 percent of the continent's population under the age of 25, Adeyemi stressed the importance of turning ideas into sustainable businesses that create jobs and formalize the informal economy to drive long-term growth.