Is the World Ready for Emerging Africa? It's Coming, Ready or Not!
Most media dialogue about super-powers and competing economic regions focuses on the trifecta of Europe, USA, and China (with BRICS as a bench player). Generally, Africa doesn't get a mention ...
… but the Convenor and Executive Chairman of the Nexten Summit 2025 being held in Dakar, Senegal, says that’s about to change. In fact, according to Madou Sylla, the world is turning, and Africa is the pivot point.
Africa Rising: A Story of Digital Transformation | From Challenge to Opportunity: Africa's Digital Dawn
For too long, the narrative of Africa has been one of poverty, conflict, and underdevelopment. While these challenges are real, they obscure a more powerful story: a story of resilience, innovation, and a region on the cusp of a digital revolution.
Africa has a population of almost 1.5 billion people and 54 countries.1 Imagine a continent where mobile technology leapfrogs traditional infrastructure, where young entrepreneurs are building cutting-edge AI solutions, and where blockchain technology is transforming financial inclusion. This is not a utopian fantasy, but a snapshot of the change that is already underway.
This transformation, however, is not without its challenges. As Africa embraces the advanced digital age, it faces a unique set of obstacles:
The Weight of the Past: Decades of underinvestment have left many African nations with inadequate infrastructure, limited digital literacy, and fragmented systems.
The Risk of Exploitation: There is a danger that foreign-led technology projects could extract value from the continent without empowering local communities.
The Complexity of Diversity: Africa is a vast and diverse continent, with a multitude of languages, cultures, and socio-economic realities. Solutions that work in one context may not be appropriate in another.
Nexten Summit: A Beacon of Change
It is against this backdrop that the Nexten Summit emerges not just as a conference, but as a symbol of Africa's potential to lead in the digital age.
The Summit, spearheaded by the visionary Madou Sylla, is more than just a showcase of new technologies. It is a deliberate effort to:
Empower Local Voices: By prioritizing African leadership and participation, Nexten ensures that the digital solutions being developed are tailored to the specific needs and contexts of each region.
Bridge the Digital Divide: Nexten is committed to addressing the infrastructure gaps and digital literacy challenges that have long held Africa back.
Foster Sustainable Development: Nexten promotes a model of technological development that is not only economically viable but also socially and environmentally sustainable.
A New Narrative: Africa as a Digital Leader
The Nexten Summit is a testament to the fact that Africa is not destined to be a passive consumer of technology. Instead, the continent is increasingly becoming a hub of digital innovation, with the potential to:
Develop Homegrown Solutions: African entrepreneurs are creating solutions to address the continent's unique challenges, from mobile money platforms that are revolutionizing financial inclusion to AI applications that are improving agricultural yields.
Shape the Global Digital Landscape: Africa's experience in leapfrogging traditional development models and adapting technology to diverse contexts offers valuable lessons for the rest of the world.
Drive Inclusive Growth: By leveraging digital technologies to empower marginalized communities and promote economic opportunity, Africa has the potential to achieve a more equitable and prosperous future.
The story of Africa's digital transformation is still being written. But the Nexten Summit and the initiatives it will catalyze are powerful harbingers that the continent is ready to take its place at the forefront of the advanced digital age. This is a story of a continent rising, not as a "poor cousin" but as a leader, forging its own path and shaping a future that is both prosperous and sustainable.
What’s Next? Ten!
The Nexten Summit begins in Africa and then continues around the world. In the assessment of the Veritas Chronicles team, this is a truly visionary initiative and catalyst for change in the new, emerging, decentralized world.
Africa contains 54 fully recognised sovereign states, eight cities and islands that are part of non-African states, and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. This count does not include Malta and Sicily, which are geologically part of the African continent. Africa has an overall population of almost 1.5 billion people. Senegal is part of West Africa with a population of almost half a billion people. The 16 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.