A Continental Alliance with the Africa Centre, UK
The Alliance for Science, the African Union’s Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and the Africa Centre are forming a powerful alliance to develop bold, creative content that inspires support for frontier innovations critical to achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Our new initiative is titled: “The 2063 Warrior League: Fight for the Africa We Want.”
At the heart of this visionary project is an anthology of original short stories written by world-class authors across the Global South. These stories will feature a new league of Wakanda-inspired African heroes who join forces with our existing SDG Heroes to take on the continent’s greatest challenges and catalyze progress toward our shared goals by the year 2063.
This creative journey began last year in London with a conversation between Olu Alake, Director of the Africa Centre, and Professor Olalekan Akinbo, Senior Programme Officer for Biosafety at AUDA-NEPAD. It continued in Nairobi during our Future of Science Communication Forum in February. It reached a pivotal milestone with the AUDA-NEPAD team’s visit to the Africa Centre earlier this month.
Why This Matters
This Africa Day, I found myself reflecting on my long-standing relationship with the Africa Centre and the profound potential of this collaboration. Back in 1999, I was honoured to be invited to speak at the Millennial Africa Day celebrations, hosted jointly by the Africa Centre, the UK Government, and African embassies and consulates in London.
At that time, I was conducting research in Oxford on genetically modified biopesticides at the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology (IVEM). My talk—“The African Renaissance in Science”—captured the excitement of a continent on the brink of transformation. President Thabo Mbeki had just declared the dawn of a new African century, and with the rise of the internet and mobile connectivity, the continent was filled with hope. Globalization promised opportunities for progress, prosperity, and reinvention.
I was proud to speak on a platform that also featured H.E. Jacob Zuma—then South Africa’s Deputy President—under the leadership of President Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela’s successor. The optimism of post-Apartheid South Africa was palpable, and the dream of African renaissance felt achievable.
Finding Hope in Today’s Africa
Today, I must dig deeper to maintain that same sense of optimism, but three powerful realities give me hope:
- Africa’s Youth
Africa is the youngest continent in the world. By sheer demographic weight, young Africans will shape the future of the globe. Our task is to prepare and empower them to drive that change wisely and positively. - Africa’s Resources
The continent remains the source of the rare earth minerals, food systems, and raw materials the world needs to power the future. With smart governance and sustainable stewardship, these resources can uplift the continent. - Africa’s Diaspora
The African diaspora has grown into a powerful force—both economically and creatively. Remittances to the continent total billions of dollars annually, and perhaps just as importantly, African creatives in the diaspora are telling African stories in transformative ways. These stories are enriching the continent’s cultural capital and expanding the creative economy.
That’s why we’re excited to collaborate with Temi Oh, the British-Nigerian science fiction author and screenwriter, who will lead the editorial team for this anthology. Temi and her team—featuring writers from across the Global South, including China—will help reimagine Africa’s future through powerful, imaginative storytelling.
This is more than just a storytelling project—it’s a strategic cultural intervention. Through creativity, we’re seeding the future. Through narrative, we’re reclaiming our agency. And through alliance, we’re building the Africa we want.