AFKInsider: Do you feel more Americans are taking a business interest in Africa?
Amadou “Chico” Cissoko: I feel like large multinationals, institutions and organizations are on the forefront of the US-Africa business relationship…I believe that the African American Business Community is the one who can really profit the most from this relationship and Africa’s current growth. It seems clear to me that investing in the US economy alone will not help them break into the fortune 500 companies club in the decades to come. But those who will be willing to take more risks and come at the pursuit of the African dream with an American hustling spirit and business ethics will succeed massively. And these examples will reassure other Americans, Latinos, Italians, etc to come and do the same.
AFKInsider: What are the misconceptions people still have about Africa?
Amadou “Chico” Cissoko: I think that it all depends on who is conceiving the thought…So the misconceptions are all related to the level of ignorance, understanding, involvement, stupidity and knowledge of the one talking about Africa. I think that Africa that doesn’t need to justify it’s imperfections and weaknesses. I would like to see Africans accept their flaws and commit to improving and expanding not only the image of the continent, but that of the people of the continent at all levels of the society.
The people are the ones who have been telling the story. It’s to the people to continue telling the stories. And if the people are better, more educated, have more choices and more opportunities to grow, and take part in changing the world, the stories will be way more attractive than the ones who have been told the most. We need more positive, constructive and inspiring stories coming from Africa to strike a balance and offer a holistic, compelling and attractive view of the mother continent.
AFKInsider: Why do you feel there are so many young innovators coming out of African now?
Amadou “Chico” Cissoko: One of the greatest catalysts to innovation or invention is lack of a better alternative. In the case of young Africans, the constant lack of resources and opportunities, even though technology offers them an image of how the world is, brings the most daring amongst them to venture on and make something happen. May it be by inventing a gadget that solves a problem they have been suffering from for decades, or using existing resources and coming up with a better way to increase resources, reduce costs or heal their family, friends or community, these Young Innovators set out to solve their everyday problems using existing technology and resources. They use their mobile phones to browse Google and Wikipedia and to learn how it has been done elsewhere. Then they look under their noses and feet to find the local resources available to make their own prototypes and solutions.
And because there are more and more young Africans succeeding in their ventures and are promoted through African and international medias, more and more young Africans believe that they can too. And I have faith that millions of people will see their lives improve by the growing number of commercially viable and sustainable innovations and inventions that will come from Africa, for Africans and the world.
