Africa still faces challenges despite recent triumphs, panel says

Africa has made significant strides in the past decades, but there is still a long way ahead for the continent to improve, panelists said during a discussion Wednesday on Africa’s present and future.

The panel, sponsored by the African Students Organization, brought around 30 attendees to Boston University’s Howard Thurman Center, where panelists said the general trend in Africa over the past 50 years was positive—both in internal development and in interaction with the West. 

“There is trend in enlightened leadership on the continent,” Charles Stith, former U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania and director of the African Presidential Archives and Research Center, said.

U.S. West African Research Association Director Jennifer Yanco said progress has been made in education as well.

“The level of education has changed enormously,” she said.

However, BU African Studies Center Director Timothy Longman said the media does not sufficiently report on the positive changes in Africa. 

“In the press, what you find the most are the disasters,” he said.

Despite improvements, the panelists said Africa still faces many problems. 

For example, Africa struggles with the issue of public health, they said. 

Yanco said that the primary reason behind the health care problem is that international financial institutions pressured governments of Africa to disband government health care programs.

“This is a result of the international financial situation,” Yanco said. “And I am not entirely optimistic.”

 The panelists also discussed human rights and government institutions.

“The major abuses are from the elites,” Longman said. “Human rights abuses happen because they made decisions.”

However, he also said he recognized the trend towards improvement.

“It is changing very, very rapidly,” Longman said.

Stith emphasized the legacy of colonization in Africa and the actions of countries that used to be colonial powers. He cited examples of the French government’s support for dictatorial regimes.

 “The French have to be held accountable for the things they continue to do to this day,” Stith said.

Longman said the people must hold government authority accountable. The pre-colonial culture’s methods of limiting the power of government disappeared during colonial rule, he said. 

“Every one of them had some way to check their leaders,” he said. 

Panelists stressed the need for governments outside of Africa to help improve the human rights situation. 

Stith said the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a program started by the Bush administration to aid African countries with requirements on government accountability and transparency, is a good idea. 

“We need to be clear about the message we are sending,” Stith said. “The good thing about the Millennium Challenge initiative is the message it is sending. If you are doing the right thing, we will help you even more for your country.” 

The speakers said there are many ways African natives residing elsewhere can help their homeland.

“Foreign remittance is a huge part of their economy,” Longman said. “It is not just about sending money, but also maintaining the culture and helping the world become smaller.”

Stith said students from Africa should consider going back to the continent to make it a better place.

“At the end of the day there is nothing abstract about how change happens,” he said. 

College of General Studies sophomore Chine Ezekwesili said the discussion answered many of his questions. 

 “It is one of my life goals to change Nigeria,” Ezekwesili said, referring to his home country.

College of Arts and Sciences junior Samantha Menjor said the discussion was riveting. 

 “I’m pretty optimistic,” she said. “I am from Liberia, which made a lot of progress after the civil war.”