OPINION: Why Africa's leadership is failing to uplift the continent and its people

The problem with African leaders is that they talk too much. This is why they fail to act on their intentions.

I’ve heard a lot of inspiring messages from many African leaders about how they plan to transform the continent, and its people, from beggars to equal partners who can make their own decisions about their own destiny. They have ambitious plans on taking back Africa and its natural resources, so that Africans can benefit from its own wealth instead of being exploited by outsiders.

I am convinced that some of these leaders have good intentions and they are genuinely committed to making these changes. But, most of these ambitious plans will have a major impact on the status quo, i.e. Western dominance, colonialism, imperialism, or whatever name they wish to call it.

The problem is this. If you’re the little guy in the room, you cannot be talking about what you’re going to the do to the big guy that will hurt him badly. That’s irresponsible. By doing so, you are already undermining your own strategy. You can only brag about what you’re going to do if you’re the big guy  in the room and you want the little guys to pay attention and be more afraid of your wrath. For example, the big guy can afford to threaten with economic sanctions, travel ban, and so on, if you, the little guy, fail to do certain things. But, if you’re the little guy, your big words will only be setting you up for failure. The counter-attack can be devastating.

My advice: If Africa has to succeed, it’s time for its leadership to stop talking big and tough about how they will uplift the continent at the expense of the more powerful nations. If you have done your home work, then start acting and stop talking. Just do the right thing at the right time.