Opinion: Africa is not asking for a seat - it is claiming its place as a co-architect of the future

As the world is changing rapidly - in terms of geopolitics, of economics, of technology, of climate - I am convinced that Africa is a key actor in defining the future.  

Too often, conversations about Africa are framed through crisis: conflict, fragility, need. But Africa is also innovation, creativity, political imagination, cultural power, demographic dynamism and climate leadership.  

By 2050, Africa’s population will reach approximately 2.5 billion people. Nearly 830 million Africans will be between 15 and 35 years old. This is the largest concentration of young talent, creativity, entrepreneurship, and human potential anywhere on earth.  

Africa’s median age is just 19 years old, even 16 years old in some countries. While many regions are confronting ageing populations and shrinking workforces, Africa is emerging as the world’s youthful engine. And in 2026, Africa’s economic growth is projected to outpace Asia’s for the first time in decades.  

So how do we turn Africa’s young population into a transformative force? The answer is strategic investment. Investment in universal healthcare and quality education. Investment in digital access and technological capability. Investment in entrepreneurship, research, green industries, and job-rich economies. Innovation requires partners prepared to back ideas before success is guaranteed.  

European initiatives such as the Global Gateway, with commitments around digital infrastructure, education, innovation, and connectivity, could hold real promise. But only if local actors are in the driver’s seat, and only if investments are anchored in social and development objectives. The Global Gateway will not work if its investments are driven primarily by European commercial or strategic interests.  

Their success will depend on one principle: African priorities must shape African development. Young Africans are already building fintech companies in Lagos, renewable energy solutions in Nairobi, agritech innovation in Dakar, creative industries in Johannesburg, and civic technology movements across the continent. What they need are systems that invest in their leadership. Empowering Africa’s youth is one of the smartest investments the world can make in our shared future.  

Climate justice is also an opportunity to re-write the narrative.  

Africa has the necessary resources to take a leading role in the green transition. Africa has immense renewable energy potential. Africa can leapfrog outdated development pathways. From solar mini-grids and renewable energy parks to climate-resilient agriculture and smarter water systems, African solutions already exist. The continent has the potential to become a global leader in sustainable food systems, clean energy innovation, and climate adaptation. But it requires finance that is accessible, technology transfer that is equitable, debt systems that do not punish vulnerable economies. And partnerships rooted in justice rather than in extraction.  

As Ireland prepares for its EU leadership role as of July 2026, there is a powerful opportunity to champion climate resilience not as a niche development issue, but as a central pillar of global security, economic stability, and human dignity. Because climate justice for Africa is inseparable from climate security for the world.  

Since we’re talking about the future, the relationship my continent builds today matter enormously. The old donor-recipient model has reached its limits. The future demands something different: partnerships based on mutual accountability, and mutual respect.  

From her history, her collective memory, the stances she has decided to take, Ireland has a unique position in this conversation. We know where this country stands politically. We know that Ireland understands, maybe more than any other western country, histories of colonisation, struggle, migration, resilience, and international solidarity. Ireland also stands on the threshold of an important leadership moment within Europe. This for us is an opportunity for this country to advocate with Africa.  

We can see how the cooperation between Ireland and the African Union is expanding around peace and security in general, the Women, Peace and Security agenda in particular, but also around climate resilience.  

Economic cooperation must also deepen. The African Continental Free Trade Area which will be the largest free trade area in the world, represents one of the most significant economic transformations of our time. It creates new opportunities for industrialisation, regional value chains, innovation, and fairer integration into global markets.  

European and Irish engagement should support these ambitions. They should support the African people to create a unified space within its borders, to ensure food security first, and the emergence of the one of the largest markets in the world.  

And another urgent shared priority: the African Union’s 2026 theme focuses on sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems. This may sound technical. But water is about everything: food security, public health, women’s unpaid labour, climate resilience, human dignity and many more. Water will increasingly define prosperity and stability in the twenty-first century. It is exactly the kind of issues where a genuine Ireland-EU-Africa alliance can demonstrate what meaningful cooperation looks like. We are past the era of aid imposed from outside. Solutions that work today are co-designed, co-owned, and mutually beneficial.

The old donor-recipient model has reached its limits. The future demands something different: partnerships based on mutual accountability, and mutual respect.   

Let us commit to changing not only our policies, but our narratives. Let us invest in Africa’s young people. Let us pursue climate justice with determination. Let us build partnerships worthy of the century ahead.  

Our shared future will be stronger, fairer, and more sustainable if we choose to build it together. 

Fati N’Zi-Hassane is Director of Oxfam in Africa.