Africa at a Crossroads: Leveraging Potential in a Multipolar World. Reflections after the LSE Africa Summit 2025
A week after the conclusion of the LSE Africa Summit 2025, the insightful and thought-provoking discussions continue to resonate in my mind.
As a Politics and International Relations student, I was deeply engaged in the conversation regarding the current shift in the international order from unipolarity to multipolarity, and the need for Africa to secure its place in the global arena. In this rapidly changing environment, Africa possesses the tools to fully leverage its potential and resources, and it alone has the authority to influence its own affairs. However, the full realisation of Africa’s competitive advantages is hindered by substantial challenges, which require collective action to be overcome. It is through unity, commitment, and effective use of available resources that we can change the status quo.
After two days of transformative discussions on Africa’s current situation, we have gained a comprehensive understanding of its opportunities and challenges. The continent’s GDP is projected to grow by 4.1% by 2025, driven by investments in digital infrastructure, renewable energy, and regional trade. Higher education is expanding, particularly in STEM fields, with increased female participation. Youth entrepreneurship is thriving, with emerging startup hubs in fintech and health tech. Initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are promoting economic cooperation, while mobile technology is revolutionising access to banking, education, and healthcare. These advancements reflect a continent rich in potential and determination, forging a path toward sustainable and inclusive growth. However, challenges remain: poverty continues to plague the continent, corruption and low trust in government hinder sustainable development, and weak leadership does not enhance Africa's position on the global stage. Fragmentation and conflict across the continent deepen instability and inequality, while dependence on the West for resources and debt repayment prevents Africa from asserting its power.
Africa is therefore at a crucial crossroads, filled with potential yet facing ongoing challenges. Unifying African efforts is essential to fully maximize this potential, rather than relying on external powers that often pursue their own interests instead of promoting genuine development in the region. These external forces frequently view Africa as needy and helpless, overlooking its competitive advantages: its youth, natural resources, resilience, and potential. To shift these narratives, we need to establish strong governance that prioritizes Africa’s future and invests in the private sector, technology and innovation, education, and youth employment. Trust must be mutually cultivated between governments and the populace. Once established, African nations should set aside conflicts of interest to build regional alliances, offer mutual assistance, and enhance regional trade. In doing so, fully sovereign and competitive countries can unite and engage in dialogue to shape the prosperous future that Africa deserves. One thing is clear: we need African solutions to African problems. Africans are the only ones who can dictate their future, and there is no room for externally imposed development models.
The panellists at the LSE Africa Summit 2025, who are leaders of change in Africa, provided us with a blueprint to follow in order to transform the structural status quo. Africa does not merely require charity and aid; it has the full capability to collaborate for mutual benefit. Let us keep the conversation alive and take action to drive change across the continent.
By Sofia Nandika Ahuja
