Right now, somewhere in the world, there's probably a conference about Africa happening - or about to begin. We're in a golden age of conferences, forums, summits and roundtables, where conversation seem to be a priority for the decision makers driving Africa's development agenda.
The themes rarely change, and the protagonists repeat the same well-worn pro-Africa phrases: "Africa is open for business" "Africa has the world's youngest population" "Six of the ten fastest-growing economies are in Africa" "By 2050, one in four people on earth will be African".
The statements are true and they sound hopeful, but they lack the substance to make them really meaningful. And more importantly, the narrative they put out is one of a continent that's full of potential and possibility, but somehow never quite crosses the finishing line.
