In his latest book, The Time of a Continent, Abdelmalek Alaoui, director of the Tribune of Africa, points out that the continent is ready to face the fourth industrial revolution because it manages two essential elements very well, namely uncertainty and speed.
It is evident that the world looks to Africa with the eyes of financiers, businessmen and governments that want to share in the 4% GDP growth, which is being achieved in recent years. The reserves of agriculture and fisheries on the continent represent a third of the planet. Likewise, agriculture alone represents one of the most important markets in the world, in the absence of its industrialization and development to be able to nourish more than two billion people.
Another key aspect of Africa is the human factor. It is interesting to note that by the year 2050 its population will increase by 2,5 billion people, yet the child population will only increase 170 million between this year and 2030, these figures will represent 40% of the world population by 2055.
Other remarkable phenomena in this continent are new technologies. There are currently 800 million mobile phones in Africa, and this, according to all the experts, is more than what the European or American continent have. However, it must be borne in mind that these are first generation mobile phones and that the continent is waiting to adapt to the new mobile generations and enter the vanguard of new technologies.
Finally, we will refer to renewable energies. Being one of the new alternatives in energy consumption, it represents one of the challenges of the continent, but at the same time, one of the great opportunities for companies specializing in it, such as Noor, the gigantic photovoltaic project in Morocco or the hydroelectric plan of Ethiopia, which are the pillars of the green revolution of a continent.
One of the many summits between the European Union and Africa will be held in the coming days to discuss the aforementioned issues. Europe will come with a proposal, the Marshal Plan, which consists of making an investment of 40 billion Euros to create a leverage effect to help the continent take off and fight against immigration and inequalities, because the stability and growth of Africa is also that of Europe.
On the Balearic Islands, we have a large representation from the African continent from more than twenty countries and ethnic groups. Among these I wanted to highlight the Igbo ethnic group from Nigeria that feels very attached to the island as well as one of its proverbs: “Until the lions have their own historians, the hunting stories always glorify the hunter“.
