Africa must stop depending on USAID and start relying on its own ingenuity

In October 2024, I was living in New York when I wrote the Foreword of “Ingenious and Talented Africa: When Africa inspires the World”

This seminal book co-edited by Soufyane Frimousse and Soha Benchekroun showcases African people and organizations who deftly apply frugal innovation and indigenous knowledge to develop affordable and sustainable solutions in critical sectors like energy, food, education, health, etc.

Using many inspiring case studies, the book celebrates Africa’s frugal ingenuity and resilient spirit — and African people’s resourceful capacity to lead “endogenous (homegrown) development” without depending on foreign aid and ideas.

In October 2024, anticipating Trump’s return to power and his keen intent to sever all US foreign aid, I presciently concluded my preface in this book as following:

“In an interview in The Sun magazine, Tiffany Griffin, who worked in Africa as a strategy advisor for USAID under the Obama Administration, noted:

“(Rather than depend on the US, Russia, or China), Africans need to bet on each other. The Black Diaspora and the Global South need to bet on and support each other. When we rely on and leverage our own capacities, our own definitions of success, and our own notions of humanity, we’ll thrive.”

Read Griffin’s full interview.

This stimulating book invites African nations to “bet on each other” and leverage each other’s frugal innovation capabilities to co-build inclusive societies and regenerative economies that will become the inspiration for the rest of the world in the 21st century.”

As I post this, the USAID is de facto being shut down (courtesy of Elon Musk).

Many worry how the demise of USAID would affect Africa, where many countries depend on US aid. Read African Business magazine article.

The future of Power Africa — a US government-led initiative to increase access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa — is uncertain.

But I believe African nations should transform this adversity into opportunity.

All African business and political leaders should read “Ingenious and Talented Africa” to learn how to unleash and harness Africa’s frugal ingenuity to find “indigenous solutions” to Africa’s problems — without depending on foreign “interventions”.

It’s time for Africa to stop being a source of PITY and become a source of INSPIRATION for the world.

This groundbreaking book shows the way.