“Africa Is Not Waiting to Be Rescued”: UN Calls for Dignified Storytelling About the Continent

By Matthew Eloyi

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has renewed calls for a fundamental shift in how Africa is portrayed globally, urging governments, development partners, and the media to move away from narratives dominated by poverty and suffering and instead highlight the continent’s innovation, resilience, and opportunities.

The appeal was made on Wednesday in Abuja by the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms Elsie Attafuah, at a women leaders’ networking reception jointly organised by UNDP in collaboration with the Federal Ministries of Women Affairs and Foreign Affairs.

The event, reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was held in honour of the outgoing UNDP Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Africa, Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa, who has recently been appointed as Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General.

Reframing Africa’s Global Narrative

Attafuah said Africa must no longer be defined through a narrow lens of deprivation, but recognised as a continent of dynamic growth, creativity, and transformation driven by African solutions and leadership.

According to her, the time has come to reposition global perceptions of Africa to reflect its economic potential and human capital.

“Africa is not a continent waiting to be rescued. It is creating solutions, building businesses and shaping its own future with confidence.

“We must stop defining Africa by poverty and suffering alone. The world should also see our ideas, talents, investments and the remarkable progress taking place across the continent every day,” she said.

She stressed that Africa’s development story should reflect resilience, entrepreneurship, and innovation, rather than stereotypes that obscure its progress and potential.

Honouring a Legacy of African-Led Development

Attafuah commended Eziakonwa’s leadership at UNDP, noting that she consistently promoted African ownership of development processes and strengthened conversations around industrialisation, enterprise, and innovation.

She said initiatives introduced under Eziakonwa’s tenure had deepened entrepreneurship, expanded youth and women’s participation, and supported regional integration through strategic partnerships.

She highlighted flagship programmes such as the “timbuktoo” technology hubs and support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as key drivers unlocking Africa’s economic potential.

According to her, Nigeria has already benefited from innovation hubs in Lagos and Keffi, with another manufacturing technology hub expected to be inaugurated soon in Abia State.

Building Networks for Inclusive Leadership

Describing the gathering as a platform for collaboration, Attafuah emphasised the importance of sustained networks among women leaders across government, diplomacy, business, academia, civil society, and development institutions.

She underscored that inclusive leadership remains essential for strong institutions and sustainable economic growth.

“Transformation is never achieved by institutions working alone. It is accelerated when leaders unite around shared purpose, shared ambition and shared action,” she said.

She urged participants to build lasting networks that would strengthen policy influence, mentorship, and practical solutions for development challenges.

Call for Stronger Women-to-Women Collaboration

In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, called for deeper collaboration among women to advance national and continental development.

She noted that African women continue to demonstrate resilience and excellence despite systemic challenges, and urged greater solidarity through mentorship and partnership.

“Every woman has a story of sacrifice, resilience and success. When we stand together, we become a stronger force for national and continental transformation,” she said.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim added that the partnership between UNDP and relevant ministries would further strengthen women’s participation in governance, peacebuilding, leadership, and economic development.

She also referenced initiatives such as the Nigeria for Women Project and the Scale-Up Project, which she said are expanding economic opportunities for women across the country.

Women Leadership as Global Inspiration

The Wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, described Eziakonwa as a role model whose achievements demonstrate the global potential of Nigerian women.

“Her achievements remind young girls that excellence, integrity and dedication can open doors to global leadership,” she said.

Similarly, the Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Dr Olufolake AbdulRazaq, called for sustained partnerships aimed at improving livelihoods through investments in education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.

She stressed that reducing poverty and expanding opportunities for vulnerable groups requires coordinated action among governments and development partners.

Women as Africa’s Untapped Development Power

In her response, Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa, newly appointed UN Special Adviser on Africa, reinforced the need to invest deliberately in women’s leadership across the continent.

She described African women as one of the continent’s most powerful yet underutilised development assets, stressing that inclusive leadership is essential for meaningful transformation.

“The more important question is whether Africa is creating the conditions that allow women to lead transformation at the scale our future demands.

“Empowering women is not simply a gender issue but a development imperative,” she said.

Eziakonwa also reiterated the need for more dignified and balanced reporting on Africa, noting that while challenges remain, they do not define the continent.

“Africa’s challenges have not disappeared, but the extraordinary ingenuity, resilience and determination of African people have surmounted many challenges,” she said.

She highlighted UNDP-supported initiatives such as the African Facility for Women in Political Leadership and the Africa Academy for Women in Political Leadership, which attracted more than 1,300 applicants from 41 African countries, including Nigeria.

A Call for a New African Story

Eziakonwa urged governments, private sector actors, development partners, and civil society organisations to invest more in inclusive leadership, mentorship, and institution-building as essential tools for shaping Africa’s future.

As discussions continue on development, governance, and gender inclusion, the Abuja gathering underscored a growing consensus: Africa’s story must be told not only through its challenges, but through its rising achievements, innovations, and the voices of its people shaping a new future.