How Africa will change the world

Kofi Annan

Africa’s resources, both human and natural, will become increasingly important as the century progresses. At the moment, attention is focused on its oil, gas and mineral resources.

But as the damage created by current models of economic growth, consumption and waste disposal and their unsustainability become more obvious in richer countries, Africa will be seen as an integral part of efforts to save the world from itself, as the globe’s largest provider of low-carbon energy, including solar, hydro and thermal.

The big question is whether African countries will use revenues that are generated in the short term from oil and other resources to invest in public goods, education, health and infrastructure so that the continent can quickly reap the benefits of its wealth and ensure that they are equitably shared, not wasted or confined to a few. At the moment, Africa is viewed as part of the problem, not the solution.

The big surprise is going to be the recognition that Africa is essential to a safe and secure planet.

Kofi Annan is a former secretary-general of the United Nations. Read his bio