The Paradigm Shift of Afraka Rising

The future is ours with the Afrakan woman, man and child the possibilities are infinite.

On April 26th, 2025, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center, located at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C., became the epicenter of a transformative dialogue at the 6th Annual Africa Business Conference—a gathering that shattered expectations and ignited a movement for Africa's future. The event brought together a constellation of visionaries, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and students, all united by a common purpose: to harness the immense opportunities of bioengineering, artificial intelligence, electric infrastructure, social enterprise development, media, marketing, education, and international business and to empower the Afrakan diaspora to lead the paradigm shift of the century.

The conference pulsed with ambition and innovation, amplified by the dynamic leadership of the Africa Business Club at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Among the distinguished speakers, Mister Lamine Savadogo, President of Marison Energy Systems, left an indelible mark. Opening with the Hopi saying POWAQQASI-meaning both “sorcerer” and “life force”-he challenged attendees to recognize their agency as architects of Afraka’s destiny. Savadogo’s keynote electrified imaginations, urging the youth to see themselves as essential to Afraka’s energy revolution and to reimagine strategic energy partnerships across the continent.

The Imperative of Afraka’s Energy Transition

Afraka (i.e. Africa) is a continent of immense scale and natural wealth, covering approximately 30.4 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles)-enough land to fit the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and much of Europe within its borders. Stretching roughly 8,000 miles from Carthage in the north to Cape Town in the south, and spanning about 4,600 miles from Pointe des Almadies in Senegal to the continent’s easternmost reaches, Afraka’s vastness is further defined by its 55 international rivers, including the mighty Congo River basin, and its status as the world’s “second lung” due to its extensive forests presents both challenges and unparalleled opportunities for electrification. Despite abundant solar resources, nearly 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, according to the International Energy Agency. Savadogo highlighted innovative solutions, such as the Sunpowered Water Works hydro-solar system, which now provides clean drinking water to over 6,000 people in Mali, a testament to the transformative power of localized, renewable energy projects.

The energy transition is not just about infrastructure; it is a window of opportunity for economic sovereignty. With Africa’s rich endowment of critical minerals-copper, lithium, cobalt, and more-the continent stands at the crossroads of global supply chains. Yet, as the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) and the Africa Minerals Governance Framework (AMGF) emphasize, sustainable development requires that African nations move beyond extraction toward value addition, processing, and manufacturing.

For example, Guinea’s bauxite sells for $52.50 per metric ton when exported, but processed alumina fetches $389/MT, and finished aluminum commands $2,007/MT abroad-underscoring the urgent need for industrialization and fairer trade deals.

Intellectual and Academic Resistance

Spelling "Afraka" with a "K" is a conscious rejection of colonial linguistic impositions. It is a way to reclaim African identity and assert autonomy over how the continent is named and represented. This act is part of a broader intellectual resistance, where African scholars, writers, and activists challenge the ideological foundations of colonialism, including language, history, and culture. Pan-African and Anti-Colonial Movements: The choice is also tied to Pan-Africanist and anti-apartheid movements, where leaders and intellectuals promoted indigenous names and spellings as part of the struggle for liberation and self-determination. For example, the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania advocated for the name "Azania" instead of "South Africa," and writers like Haki Madhubuti have articulated the political significance of spelling "Afrika" with a "K"

AI, Bioengineering, and the Next Frontier

The conference spotlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and bioengineering in Africa. AI is already making inroads in healthcare, with applications ranging from epidemic response to personalized medicine. Startups like Nigeria’s Ubenwa are using machine learning to diagnose birth asphyxia, while AI-powered tools are improving the detection of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and tuberculosis in Zambia and Tanzania. The Africa CDC’s Pathogen Genomics Initiative and the Three Million African Genomes (3MAG) project are generating critical data for AI-driven public health solutions, positioning Africa as a leader in global health innovation. Biomedical engineering is also bridging gaps in healthcare delivery, with locally developed medical devices and diagnostic tools tailored to Africa’s unique needs. For example, affordable prosthetics, solar-powered medical equipment, and mobile health platforms are revolutionizing care in remote areas, demonstrating how homegrown innovation can overcome resource constraints.

International Development, Storytelling, and the Power of Narrative

A robust panel on international development, featuring British Robinson (Prosper Africa), Professor Belinda Archibong, Chekwube Okunowo, and Jonathan Eigege, explored the promise of solar energy, the Africa Carbon Market Initiative, and new models for global credit systems. The discussion focused on the importance of reframing Africa’s narrative: as Eigege noted, Africa’s development is not a zero-sum game, but a rebalancing of global opportunity. The question is not who loses if Africa rises, but how the world can benefit from a thriving, innovative continent. British Robinson highlighted Prosper Africa, a U.S. presidential initiative aimed at strengthening economic partnerships with African countries, and called for a “coalition of the willing” to catalyze investment and manufacturing on the continent. Mr. Eigege also recognized “islands of excellence” in Africa-such as Botswana and Mauritius, pioneers in credit systems-urging the diaspora to identify and amplify these success stories.

A Call to Action: Reimagining Africa’s Future

The 2025 Africa Business Conference was more than an event; it was a clarion call for action, collaboration, and imagination. The Hopkins Bloomberg Center, with its state-of-the-art facilities and strategic location in the heart of Washington, D.C., served as the perfect backdrop for this historic gathering-a nexus where ideas, leaders, and opportunities converged to shape the future of Africa.

The path forward demands

1. Harnessing renewable energy and building resilient electric infrastructure to unlock industrialization.

2. Investing in AI, bioengineering, and digital innovation tailored to Africa’s realities.

3. Ensuring fair and sustainable management of Africa’s mineral wealth, with value addition on the continent.

4. Reframing Africa’s narrative to reflect its dynamism, creativity, and potential.

5. Building coalitions across the diaspora, private sector, and international partners to drive inclusive growth.

As the conference concluded, one message resonated above all: Africa’s time is now, and the future is ours. The continent’s youth, entrepreneurs, and global allies must seize this moment to reimagine, rebuild, and realize the greatness of Afraka-for Africans, by Africans, and with the world as a partner in progres

Afrakan diasporians-entrepreneurs, activists, investors, students, and educators-come together to celebrate Afraka's remarkable rise. This vibrant gathering showcases the diaspora’s vital role in driving innovation, investment, and social impact across the continent. United by a shared vision, we are bridging cultures and markets to fuel sustainable growth and empower communities, embodying the spirit of Afraka Rising and shaping the continent’s future.

Resources:

1. https://thevoiceofafrica.com/a-historic-celebration-of-african-excellence-the-6th-annual-africa-business-conference-shatters-expectations/

2. The choice to spell "Africa" as "Afraka" (or "Afrika") is a deliberate act of intellectual and cultural resistance against colonialism, rooted in both historical linguistics and decolonial thought. Pre-colonial Spelling and Indigenous Languages: Before European colonization, most African languages did not use the letter "C" to represent the "k" sound. Instead, the "K" was prevalent in indigenous spellings and pronunciations. For example, names like "Kongo" and "Akkra" (now Accra, Ghana’s capital) reflect this usage. In Swahili, widely spoken in East Africa, there are no words with a lone "C"; the "K" is the standard. This pattern is echoed in many African languages, where "K" is used to represent the hard consonant sound, aligning with native phonetics. The spelling "Africa" with a "C" was introduced to fit European linguistic norms, making the word more palatable and standardized for colonial languages like English, French, and Portuguese. This change was part of a broader colonial practice of renaming and reshaping African identities and histories to suit European perspectives.