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Every continent has potentials. Africa is no exception as it is distinguished by its rich culture, minerals, tourism and agriculture. However, among the seven continents, the African continent seems to be the most disparaged. Often the international media portrayal of the continent seems to focus on disasters or disasters, as well as on conflicts, which give a dark picture of the continent.
Although challenges exist, the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define what we need to focus our attention on in terms of development from 2015 to 2030. The misrepresentation of Africa leaves one wondering if the continent really has something good to offer the world.
The potential of Africa
It is important to point out that Africa is not a small village nor a country, but a continent with about 54 different countries contributing to global economic development. The continent is endowed with rich natural resources such as oil and gas, diamond, gold, copper and timber.
Map of Africa
The continent is said to be one of the fastest growing economies, offering investment opportunities. Bookings indicate that 20 economies are growing at an average rate of 5%, faster than the 3.6% rate of the global economy.
Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the continent's fastest growing economies – Top 10 countries
The economies of most countries in sub-Saharan Africa are driven by the industrial sector, especially oil, gas and mining. There has also been mbadive development in key sectors such as ICT, tourism and agriculture, which is improving economic growth in many of these 10 countries.
One may wonder why development efforts do not yield much results. I would say the problem is sustainability. Development efforts must integrate capacity building into projects, empower citizens and contribute to building strong institutions to replicate successes.
That being said, it is appropriate to present the evolution of the situation across the continent to increase investment in key sectors to accelerate growth. The goal is for Africa to change its stories inside and out. Internally, the starting point is that we, the citizens, are changing attitudes. Positive change is also required from our governments. In this way, the story will begin to change on the outside.
The role of communicators in the storytelling of African success stories
There is a link between communication and development, effective communication that draws attention to problems, causes behavioral change, and helps attract investment for development work.
As communicators, we have a crucial role to play in changing the African narrative from a hopeless continent to one that is rich in culture and presents tremendous opportunities for the global economy. In communication ethics, stories must always be balanced by presenting all the parts. Highlighting successes and not overemphasizing the challenges will bring benefits to the continent.
Africa is the youngest continent in the world, with about 60% of its population under 25 years old. Thus, digital media can be exploited to change the continent's discourse. In other words, communicators can:
- use social media to showcase Africa's successes;
- mobilize and collaborate with civil society organizations to demand changes in attitudes from citizens and governments to ensure positive behavioral change internally;
- sell African culture by producing documentaries or by broadcasting films and festivals on different media platforms; and
- organize campaigns to promote best practices for driving change.
Communications therefore undeniably have a positive influence on development. We have to tell our own stories. Let's use our local media to start changing African stories in-house and more digital media to showcase the positive sides of our continent to the world. This does not mean that we are not making efforts. We must continue, give the example and do more. The commitment, dedication and sacrifice to do what is right and set the tone are essential.
The idea is not to communicate only positive stories, but rather to disabuse already defined ideologies or priorities. It is indeed possible if we join this common goal and if we focus more on the power of technology to present our continent in a positive light. I think this will go a long way in giving a desirable image of our beloved continent, Africa.
Warning: "The views / contents expressed in this article only imply that the responsibility of the authors) and do not necessarily reflect those of modern Ghana. Modern Ghana can not be held responsible for inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article. "
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