Happy New Year! Thank You for 2022, Announcing Two New Segments in 2023 & Lots of Positive Changes
Come Along, Won't You?
Hello rafiki 😊
Welcome to the Not an Afterthought Newsletter. We lead the conversation on how Africans can leverage technology, trade, regional integration and Pan-Africanism to build an Africa that is no longer considered an afterthought.
Dear ones, we’ve seen the dawn of a new year. The Not an Afterthought newsletter is officially 11 months old, and on February 1st, 2023, we will celebrate its first anniversary.
Thank you for sticking with me throughout this crazy journey. It has not been easy. At times it was impossible, but you kept me here.
Each one of you!
To those who opened each email without fail, asanteni sana.
To that one person who never fails to share my posts (you know yourself, thank you, love).
To those of you who engage through comments and likes, you are Godsent. You gave me life and lifted me during the rough times.
To all of you who gave 3 or 5 minutes of your time to read any of my posts, yaani sijui kama mnaelewa, nawapenda (I love you).
Miles Davis said time isn’t the main thing; it’s the only thing. I do not take your time for granted.
Going forward, we want to serve you better, be more precise, bring you more thought-provoking articles and essays, provide actionable and helpful information, and create a community that will nurture and give birth to an Africa that is not an afterthought.
To that end, we are introducing two new segments—AfCFTA and Rethinking Pan-Africanism.
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Segment
AfCFTA is an understanding between all African countries to create a Free Trade Area that spans the entire continent.
Free Trade Areas (FTAs) are typically regions where the participating countries have agreed to eliminate trade barriers.
The goal is to encourage increased trade among member states. In turn, this fuels economic growth, creates jobs and raises living standards.
According to a world bank report, AfCFTA has the potential to:
Lift 100 million Africans out of poverty by 2035
Boost incomes by up to 10%
Boost contribution to African GDP by 450 billion
Put Africa on a path to self-reliance
However, Africa and Africans can only experience these benefits if people, especially young people, take up the call, leverage AfCFTA, and start trading.
That is the objective of this segment. To simplify all things AfCFTA and provide all the information you need to start trading across borders. The articles will be simple, to the point, and not longer than 800 words.
We will break down rules of origin, intellectual property, transport options for traders, market opportunities, and available resources.
By December 2023, we want to have, at the very least, influenced 1000 young Africans to start trading.
AfCFTA is a game changer. We will do our part to ensure Africa does not miss out on the developmental potential the agreement offers.
The Rethinking Pan-Africanism Segment
Walking through the social media streets, you will notice a lot of negativity towards Pan-Africanism. Sure, the idea has a lot of proponents, but the detractors are just as many.
It is sad but not surprising.
As an ideology, Pan-Africanism has meant different things to different people over the years.
For Africa’s founders, it was mainly about the liberation struggle and political freedom.
Individuals outside the continent saw Pan-Africanism as a tool to link all peoples of African ancestry worldwide.
As for Intellectuals in and out of the continent, they can barely agree on the exact definition of Pan-Africanism. The definitions range from political unification resulting in a continental-wide superstate to the unity of purpose and a humanist ideology.
With such varying interpretations of Pan-Africanism, it makes sense that many Africans of the current generation do not identify with or are indifferent towards Pan-Africanism.
It is therefore imperative to reintroduce Pan-Africanism to them.
That is the simple objective of this segment—rethinking Pan-Africanism to make it relevant for the current generation.
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere said it best.
My generation led Africa to political freedom. The current generation of leaders and peoples of Africa must pick up the flickering torch of African freedom, refuel it with their enthusiasm and determination, and carry it forward.”
This time, it is economic freedom, not political.
Last Word
To better encompass the totality of what the Not an Afterthought Newsletter is now doing, we will also change our mission statement.
Before, it was:
We lead the conversation on how to accelerate Africa’s socio-economic development so that the continent is no longer considered an afterthought with a particular emphasis on the role technology will play!
Now it will be:
We lead the conversation on how Africans can leverage technology, trade, regional integration and Pan-Africanism to build an Africa that is no longer considered an afterthought.
I hope you choose to join us, because one thing is for sure, 2023 will be bigger, better and more impactful!
See you every Tuesday, at 7:00 a.m East African Time.
If this is your first time here, here are a couple of issues that you might have missed.