It's been fun to see pictures of the best dressed celebrities to the recent Future Awards event. But the speech below I believe, is more important.

"In 2000, the Economist made a bold declaration about Africa: it called us the hopeless continent.

We screamed. We protested. Oyinbo people are trying to put us down. They are insulting us. It’s time for us to tell our own stories etc.

So by 2011, the foreign media had gotten the message, and the narrative changed: Africa, they declared, is now rising. BRICS, MINTs, N-11… the hopeless continent is now bustling with hope. Hope, change, love, joy. The middle class now had more pot-bellies. And all of us cheered.

Pride restored. Victory secured. Battle won.

But what exactly did we win?

It reminds me of a dear, dear friend of mine whom I asked to come join an effort to battled Ebola last year, and she said to me: “Oh no, I don’t want to be part of any negative narratives of Africa”. And I thought to myself: “beht this is not a narrative something, this is a reality something”.

But there are so many of us – who have venture capital for our businesses or funding for our ideas – who scream the same. No! That’s not the story of Africa. That is poverty porn. That is not Africa’s story. There is hope for Africa.
Nobody should preach to me about selling hope. That’s what we do at The Future Awards Africa. That’s been our job for 10 years now – telling Africa’s brightest and best stories to young Africans. But the hope wey we dey sell dey see road, and e tie wrapper.

The fact that many of our over 1,000 nominees over the last ten years have succeeded in spite of broken down systems cannot blind us to the reality – that nations cannot grow based only on outliers.

Yes, we will always have people who make something out of nothing. They exist around the world, even in nations destroyed by war. But we need nations that provide opportunities for everyone, not just outliers.

Overheard recently: Africa cannot entrepreneur its way out of its problems. We can’t entrepreneur around bad leadership; we can’t entrepreneur around bad policy.
There is a point at which resilience becomes a defect and not a virtue. It is not something to be proud of that it takes sweat and blood to register a business in name in Nigeria, to open a bank account for same and to understand its tax laws with no help from the government. It is a problem that needs to be solved.

And until Africa has a network of nations where these foundational imperatives are engaged successfully and uninterrupted, success stories will continue to be a rarity and Africa will simply not grow

As part of the build up to tonight’s event, we toured the North-East of Nigeria. Oh, the things we saw. The tragedy is not the stories you even know, it’s in the ones you don’t. It’s not just the fact that it was day 600 yesterday and Chibok parents still have no news, it is the fact that they have been utterly abandoned by their own government.
Ah. On these trips the strong disconnect between the Africa Rising narrative and the realities on the ground hit you like a ton of bricks.

So instead of simple stories, how about we focus on our reality?

That Africa is not a dark continent, yet it has more blackouts than any other continent. We protest Africa is not a theatre of war, but it has more national coups than any part of the world today. Yes, Africa is not a dark continent of poverty, but we have more poor people with no pathway to rising than any continent existing in 2015.

Yes, Africa is not a continent of disease, but polio was just eradicated in Nigeria this year. And not because we told better stories. But because a foreign donor worked with local change-makers to make it happen. And it did not occur to our government officials, celebrating this news and claiming credit, that the fact that such a simple matter should have this long should become instead a reason for reflection, not backslapping.

Brothers and sisters of Africa, 329 million mobile phone users is not growth, it is consumption. 200 million people when there are no roads for them to move goods and service is not a market. Luxury motor shops opening in Lagos is not development, it is alternative reality.

We must stop, stop! Stop this lowering of the bar, where we declare progress for 6 per cent growth rate over the past 10 years while countries like China have sustained 11 percent growth for most of the last 30 years, pulling millions out of poverty in the process.

Because this rising tide has not lifted all boats. What is rising instead is the number of Africa’s children out of school – 18 million as at last count, the number of young people living below two dollars a day – 72 per cent a last count, the percent of our GDP that goes only to less than 10 per cent, the number of people who have to hold their hands over their heads to pass into the airport in Kenya, and the sheer number of jobless youth – over 75 million between ages 15 and 24 – who have no jobs. It is not a sexy story.

But it is a true story.

Of course, this story can change. And in some countries, like in my favourite Rwanda, it is in fact changing. And from countries like this come a powerful message of hope, but it is one that does not have to rely on a lie.

That message is simple: Africa CAN rise. But it can rise if only we can urgently scale up the work that governments and then civil society are doing. Government first – because one thousand NGOs cannot take the place of a single functioning government.

It can rise when we, speak truth to power, in government, in civil society, in business. And act on that truth.
That’s the promise that Africa’s youth – these nominees representing the best of them – can deliver on.
Their efforts will not be enough however if they cannot scale, if they can not reach the millions who need them, and reach them consistently and sustainably. Because Africa’s gargantuan problems need scale.

We don’t need more NGOs, as much as we need more support for those already solving these problems. We don’t need more politicians; we need more people forcing governments to do what they must for more young people. We need to move from hashtagging words, to hashtagging action.

And for this, we need active citizens.

We don’t need part-time Africans. We don’t need those who are content to sit in little cocoons and substitute one simple story for another.

We don’t need part-time Africans. ‎We need full time citizens. We need a groundswell of active, engaged, involved citizens – solving problems, at the same time, across our nations.

That’s why The Future Awards Africa is visiting 100 cities over the next one year. That’s why we are finding young people solving problems across these communities and telling their stories, spreading their action. That’s why we are getting them all the support that they need that we can get. We will train them, we will support them, we will help them scale. That’s why we are launching howcanIgetinvolved.com

Because we need full time citizens. We need a linking of arms, people working together, at the same time, with all that they have on the problems we need to solve.

Because The Future Awards Africa doesn’t want to keep celebrating rarities. We want to celebrate a surplus of inspiring stories, of hope, of growth, of impact. And to create that surplus, all of us have so much work left to do. Oh, we have so much work to do.

And that might not be the story we want to hear but that is the story we all need to hear. Our continent needs us. Desperately, critically, urgently.

Africa needs me. Africa needs you. Africa needs us o.

Thank you, and God bless everyone."

—————

Chude Jideonwo is co-founder of The Future Awards Africa.

Source:http://ynaija.com/402527-2/

Cc: lalasticlala

lengthy, summarize please

Alimtoheeb:
lengthy, summarize please

A summary will not fully capture the essence of this powerful speech. If you can't sit down and read, the message is clearly not meant for you.

sholay2011:

A summary will not fully capture the essence of this powerful speech. If you can't sit down and read, the message is clearly not meant for you.

ok sire, will try to read it after clearing what i have in front of me

Lalasticlala

sholay2011:

A summary will not fully capture the essence of this powerful speech. If you can't sit down and read, the message is clearly not meant for you.

U know am not surprise that this powerful speech did not attract readership from the thousands of nairalanders. Also u don't need to be surprise because 90% of nairalanders will not read that speech beyond the 10th line, not because they cannot read, far from that most of them can finish all those romance novels that are of considerable volume or any gross topic that satisfy their superficiality. On The question of y this topic did not make the FP, the answer also stands out clearly "The MODs did not read beyond that same 10th line" reason being that the story is not one that will indulge the youths peripheral outlook to life and indulge their sensual orgies. Through Marie Corelis' work "Sorrows of Satan" for the first time i came to understand why reasonably good literary works dont see the light of the day. I am a youth & I live here in Nigeria so I know what I am talking about. Its not inability to read its misplacement of value, its not inability to read long essays it is inability to choose the right thing to read.

@Sholay2011 how can one be involve in that project. I visited their website howcanIgetinvolved.com but did not get any info in that regard. is the body a sort Assessment team, I understand they are NGO. But what I want to know is how to queue into the project being a public speaker

McTobe:
U know am not surprise that this powerful speech did not attract readership from the thousands of nairalanders. Also u don't need to be surprise because 90% of nairalanders will not read that speech beyond the 10th line, not because they cannot read, far from that most of them can finish all those romance novels that are of considerable volume or any gross topic that satisfy their superficiality. On The question of y this topic did not make the FP, the answer also stands out clearly "The MODs did not read beyond that same 10th line" reason being that the story is not one that will indulge the youths peripheral outlook to life and indulge their sensual orgies. Through Marie Corelis' work "Sorrows of Satan" for the first time i came to understand why reasonably good literary works dont see the light of the day. I am a youth & I live here in Nigeria so I know what I am talking about. Its not inability to read its misplacement of value, its not inability to read long essays it is inability to choose the right thing to read.

You are so on point. Wow! May God bless you and hopefully, great values are restored back to our people.

sholay2011:

You are so on point. Wow! May God bless you and hopefully, great values are restored back to our people.

Thank U brother, but the truth is from what is obtainable now I don't think change is in sight in that direction. But I look forward to the blossom of a the Golden youth not what we have now. remain blessed

Thought provoking speech by Chude.



btw:
Did somebody just mention "Marie Corelli" on this thread? Man you hit my nostalgic spot.

prof800:

Thought provoking speech by Chude.



btw:
Did somebody just mention "Marie Corelli" on this thread? Man you hit my nostalgic spot.

Really nice speech. Thanks for reading jare Bro.

prof800:

Thought provoking speech by Chude.



btw:
Did somebody just mention "Marie Corelli" on this thread? Man you hit my nostalgic spot.

Sir Marie Coreli is one writer I will always stand up for. She's just good

Sholay2011, sorry I had to check all your threads on NL! I need to reach you ASAP, that's if you're still in Akure.

@Topic: There are so much quotable words in this speech. One minute - it sounds like "Change Campaign" Speech, the next - Sounds like a "Progressive". Don't get me wrong guys - I'm not being political. But that's what it is. We need to get off SocialMedia HashTag and do the right thing; Action!

Nigeria is full of hypocrites! We are afraid to say/hear the truth. And when someone tries to be blunt, we call them names "Bad Belle".. "EoP - Enemy of Progress".

Overheard recently: Africa cannot entrepreneur its way out of its problems. We can’t entrepreneur around bad leadership; we can’t entrepreneur around bad policy.

Oh my! Chude was on point! Imagine the stress you have to go through just to register your Company with CAC.. Yet these Corrupt Leaders are asking us to go into business.

I almost got a Branding Job which would have changed "My Story" but I couldn't.. 'coz my so-called Company was/is not registered.

Bull's eye!

That Africa is not a dark continent, yet it has more blackouts than any other continent. We protest Africa is not a theatre of war, but it has more national coups than any part of the world today. Yes, Africa is not a dark continent of poverty, but we have more poor people with no pathway to rising than any continent existing in 2015.

We don’t need part-time Africans. We don’t need those who are content to sit in little cocoons and substitute one simple story for another. We don’t need part-time Africans. We need full time citizens. We need a groundswell of active, engaged, involved citizens – solving problems, at the same time, across our nations.

Pls, forgive my writing skills.

Even Lalasticlala is so lazy to read the speech!

Na Joke o!

Lots of informative and inspiring threads are dying in here because they're not FrontPage worthy - according to Nairaland Standard.

Lala, abeg prove me wrong na!

Brimmie:
Sholay2011, sorry I had to check all your threads on NL! I need to reach you ASAP, that's if you're still in Akure.

@Topic: There are so much quotable words in this speech. One minute - it sounds like "Change Campaign" Speech, the next - Sounds like a "Progressive". Don't get me wrong guys - I'm not being political. But that's what it is. We need to get off SocialMedia HashTag and do the right thing; Action!

Nigeria is full of hypocrites! We are afraid to say/hear the truth. And when someone tries to be blunt, we call them names "Bad Belle".. "EoP - Enemy of Progress".


Oh my! Chude was on point! Imagine the stress you have to go through just to register your Company with CAC.. Yet these Corrupt Leaders are asking us to go into business.

I almost got a Branding Job which would have changed "My Story" but I couldn't.. 'coz my so-called Company was/is not registered.

Bull's eye!




Pls, forgive my writing skills.

I'm glad you love the speech. It was just too solid to ignore when I read it from a Facebook link. I'm equally shocked it's not on front page but what can man do? And Chude is just so great...you can see the passion for Nigeria oozing out of him. I had the chance to see/hear him live when he came to OAU then. Oh boy....this man is simply one of the few people I really admire, even though we are not in the same line of profession. He is awesome.

And well, I'm no longer in Akure...lol.

sholay2011:

I'm glad you love the speech. It was just too solid to ignore when I read it from a Facebook link. I'm equally shocked it's not on front page but what can man do?

And well, I'm no longer in Akure...lol.

Awww.. You just broke ma heart bro (no homo)!

I'm gon' mail you then.. Pls reply sir.

Brimmie:


Awww.. You just broke ma heart bro (no homo)!

I'm gon' mail you then.. Pls reply sir.

Yes sir!

very very nice speech!!!

However, I think the positive stories about Africa is important....Yes things are still not great, but it's a lot better than it used to be. It's amazing how it's quite easy for humans to forget how bad things once was. Chude as a case study; his grandparents probably lived poor somewhere in one rural farm, but he is now living in a comfortable apartment building in Lagos....That's the narrative of most present day urban Nigerians....so yea....A LOT of families have actually been lifted out of poverty. But the level of poverty in China and Nigeria 50 years ago is not the same; so their individual progress can't be compared now. Yes, our roads are still bad, but 50 years ago, 90% of them were not even tarred at all. I agree with most of the other parts where he isn't trying to imply that the continent is not making progress.

Thanks for sharing Sholay

speedyboi:
very very nice speech!!!

However, I think the positive stories about Africa is important....Yes things are still not great, but it's a lot better than it used to be. It's amazing how it's quite easy for humans to forget how bad things once was. Chude as a case study; his grandparents probably lived poor somewhere in one rural farm, but he is now living in a comfortable apartment building in Lagos....That's the narrative of most present day urban Nigerians....so yea....A LOT of families have actually been lifted out of poverty. But the level of poverty in China and Nigeria 50 years ago is not the same; so their individual progress can't be compared now. Yes, our roads are still bad, but 50 years ago, 90% of them were not even tarred at all. I agree with most of the other parts where he isn't trying to imply that the continent is not making progress.

Thanks for sharing Sholay

Hmmm...I like your contrarian thinking even if I don't agree with your point of view.

Thanks for reading speedyboi.

sholay2011:

Hmmm...I like your contrarian thinking even if I don't agree with your point of view.

Thanks for reading speedyboi.

lol, air your own point of view! lol

speedyboi:


lol, air your own point of view! lol

My view is that I fully support the speech. The speech doesn't imply that we shouldn't appreciate what we've 'achieved' so far, rather we should not settle for mediocrity as excellence or just shout that the world hates us when we've not done enough to prove them wrong.

Once again, I do not expect everyone commenting on this thread to say 'nice one' or 'inspired speech'. It's nice to have a different point of view like yours, which is correct on its own but doesn't do it for me with respect to this speech.

BTW, see who is on my profile.

sholay2011:
BTW, see who is on my profile.

It's a fine fresh boy, called Sholay *runs away*

What everyone says is not that the world (I'm thinking you mean WEST) hates us, but the west needs to portray a balanced view...Yea, there are diseases and poverty in Africa; but whilst you are at it portraying all these things, don't forget the cities and the comfortable citizens; don't forget the middle class, the stinking rich, don't forget even a "superficial" world like Abuja....They are all part of the "African Narrative"....."African Narrative" shouldn't be slum slum slum.....when that is not all there is to the continent. Tell a whole narrative, or don't tell anything at all. That is my own. I get your point, anyway...and I entirely agree with not settling for mediocrity!

speedyboi:
What everyone says is not that the world (I'm thinking you mean WEST) hates us, but the west needs to portray a balanced view...Yea, there are diseases and poverty in Africa; but whilst you are at it portraying all these things, don't forget the cities and the comfortable citizens; don't forget the middle class, the stinking rich, don't forget even a "superficial" world like Abuja....They are all part of the "African Narrative"....."African Narrative" shouldn't be slum slum slum.....when that is not all there is to the continent. Tell a whole narrative, or don't tell anything at all. That is my own. I get your point, anyway...and I entirely agree with not settling for mediocrity!

Hmmm....once again, you are very right but this is not what the speech was implying.

Lol@ your previous post.