Africa stands at a historic crossroads. The promise of its potential is as vast as the challenges it faces. For decades, the continent has pursued reforms, adopted democratic frameworks, and embraced development models aimed at unlocking progress. Yet today, the lived experience for many Africans still reflects persistent inequality, weak institutions, fragile economies, and a growing sense of disillusionment with the systems meant to uplift them.

According to the African Development Bank (AFDB), over 490 million Africans still live in poverty. Youth unemployment across the continent hovers above 60%, with millions entering labour markets annually that lack the industries to absorb them. Nearly 30 countries are experiencing forms of democratic regression or civil unrest, even as external debt surpasses $1.1 trillion. In 2023 alone, over 25% of African countries spent more on debt servicing than on healthcare or education. What these numbers reveal is not only a developmental gap but a structural crisis.

Africa’s current governance and development architecture, though well-intentioned, is neither independent nor sufficiently aligned with the continent’s social, cultural, and economic realities. While external interventions and legacy systems have played a role in shaping Africa’s political economy, the need for deep introspection is equally vital. Governance gaps, policy inertia, overdependence on aid, and missed opportunities for development have collectively weakened our ability to deliver on the aspirations of our people.

In response to this continental urgency, the International Conference on Africa’s Democracy (ICAD) is conceived as African Braintrust, a convening, research, and action platform where Africa’s foremost thinkers, builders, policymakers, and reformers meet to reimagine Africa’s future. It is not a space for blame but a platform for solutions motivated by a growing continental desire to ask harder questions, bridge generational leadership, and champion governance and development models towards a future of social inclusion and shared prosperity for Africans.

The continent’s youth, who make up over 60% of Africa’s population, are demanding more than electoral rituals. They seek systems that work: governments that serve, institutions that protect, and economies that deliver shared prosperity. At the same time, traditional leadership systems, indigenous governance practices, and communal resilience offer untapped wisdom that must be integrated into modern statecraft. Africa’s structural transformation cannot be outsourced. It requires bold leadership and homegrown innovation. It demands a shift from dependency to self-determination, from reactive policymaking to proactive institution-building. And above all, it calls for continental solidarity in pursuit of dignity, development, and democratic accountability.

ICAD will catalyse thought and action by bringing together Africa’s brightest minds in a sustained, honest and future-oriented conversation to design systems and structures that serve the aspiration of all Africans. It will build on the legacy of past continental frameworks with a core ideology that Africa’s progress must be led by Africans, for Africans, in partnership with the world, but always anchored in the continent’s sovereign voice.