Every week, I find myself in conversations across health, technology, philanthropy, and development. These exchanges happen in meeting rooms, on panels, in airport lounges, and increasingly, across the digital spaces where ideas move quickly and influence shifts quietly. Over time, a pattern has become unmistakable; Africa is no longer asking for inclusion.
We are building. We are building systems. We are building talent. And we are building architecture, the kind that will define the next decade of global health and innovation.
For years, the global conversation around Africa often leaned toward participation – “How do we include Africa?”
But inclusion is no longer the aspiration. We have entered a different phase, one shaped by ownership and design.
This shift is not a slogan; it is a mindset change. A continental one.
Across the continent, we are seeing the early markers of this transformation. From digital health infrastructure that connects last-mile communities to climate-resilient primary care systems redefining service delivery, from AI-enabled diagnostics accelerating decision-making to the rise of young innovators who are building scalable solutions with astonishing clarity, the momentum is undeniable.
These innovations are emerging not because Africa is catching up, but because the continent is designing forward.
Over the last few months, in conversations from Kigali to Nairobi to Geneva, one question has consistently shaped my thinking:
What would global health look like if Africa’s architecture, intelligence, and lived realities were not an afterthought but a foundation?
It is a simple question but an important one. Because it reframes the entire conversation.
When Africa’s realities sit at the margins of global design, well-intentioned solutions miss critical context. But when Africa’s lived experience becomes central, systems grow stronger, faster, and more sustainably. This is not about replacing global partnerships; it is about rebalancing them.
There is a truth that often goes under-acknowledged: Africa is the world’s largest laboratory for innovation.
“Part of this is necessity; we have had to innovate without waiting for perfect infrastructure. But necessity has evolved into capability, and capability is becoming leadership.”
It is happening in Lagos, Kigali, Johannesburg, Dakar, Nairobi, Cairo, and dozens of other emerging nodes of excellence. Our cities may not always be described as innovation hubs in the global narrative, but the truth is, the level of ingenuity, resilience, and design intelligence across the continent is unparalleled.
We also have something remarkable, something the world is actively trying to figure out: the world’s youngest and most dynamic population.
Our youth population is not just a demographic statistic; it is the world’s most powerful development asset. With the right governance, opportunity, and infrastructure, Africa’s young people will design solutions that shape global markets, not just local ones.
And we are already seeing early signs of that. Take health and digital ecosystems, which are converging faster in Africa than anywhere else. Part of this is necessity; we have had to innovate without waiting for perfect infrastructure. But necessity has evolved into capability, and capability is becoming leadership.
Consider drone delivery networks that bring medicines to remote communities, mobile money systems that have become global benchmarks, and community-based digital health platforms that are now being studied and replicated outside the continent. These are not “catch-up” innovations. These are global models in the making.
Africa is not a passive recipient of global solutions. It is becoming a designer of systems that others will adopt.
The question now is, what will it take to sustain and accelerate this shift?
The next decade will be defined by four critical pillars: governance, data, funding, and partnerships.
1. Governance: Africa needs governance architectures that reflect our realities, not retrofitted external models. This means strong regulatory environments, coherent policy frameworks, and leadership that understands both national priorities and global dynamics. When governance works, innovation scales responsibly and sustainably.
2. Data: Data sovereignty is no longer optional. The continent must own, protect, analyse, and strategically deploy its data. Africa cannot design the future if the evidence that informs decisions is owned or interpreted elsewhere. Data autonomy is a form of power, one that unlocks everything from health financing to AI governance.
3. Funding: We need catalytic, flexible capital that sees Africa as an innovation engine, not an intervention site. The emergence of blended finance, impact investing, and homegrown funds is promising, but we must grow the financing vehicles that match our ambition. Funding should fuel design, not dependency.
4. Partnerships: The next era of global partnership must be anchored in co-creation. Africa has moved far beyond pilot projects and demonstration sites. We are ready for joint ventures, shared ownership models, and collaborative systems design. When partnerships respect Africa as a co-architect, the outcomes shift for everyone.
If we get these four elements right, Africa will not only participate in the global future, but we will help define it.
This is not about competition; it is about contribution. Not about isolation, but about collaboration from a position of clarity and capability. Not about proving worth, but about activating value that already exists.
As the continent continues to innovate at extraordinary speed, this is the moment for leaders across sectors and across geographies to rethink what it means to build with Africa, not for Africa. The future of global health and innovation will be shaped by those who recognise the potential in front of us and choose to co-design systems that reflect our collective intelligence.
Africa is not waiting. Africa is building. And the world is stronger when we build together.
About the Author:
Ota Akhigbe is the Director of Partnerships & Programs at eHealth Africa, where she leads multi-country health systems innovation across the continent. She works at the intersection of digital architecture, funding, and public health strategy, shaping partnerships that strengthen Africa’s health and development systems. Her writing focuses on the future of African-led design, systems leadership, and continental transformation.
