Nigerian writer and systems thinker Adewale Ajadi has published a new book examining how Africans on the continent and in the diaspora can shape the future of Africa through deliberate choices, actions and responsibilities.
The book, Afrilition: 21st Century African Manifesto, presents Africa as extending beyond the geographical boundaries of the continent to include its global diaspora.
Ajadi challenges approaches that frame Africa primarily through pessimism or as a continent defined by its response to Western powers. Instead, the book examines the possibility of an African future shaped by African priorities, identity and institutions.
A central argument of the book is that Africa’s future should not be treated as something that will simply happen, but as an outcome that can be influenced by the decisions and actions of successive generations.
Ajadi also argues that African development should be pursued on terms determined by Africans, both within the continent and across the diaspora.
In a chapter titled Bearing Witness, he writes: “Yes, I ignore the pessimists too, lest they infect my sight with the pain of their disease, weariness. Be brave enough to dream tomorrow and be resilient enough to pursue even the frisson of its potential. Africa deserves that and much more.”
The book links the question of Africa’s future to questions of identity, responsibility and intergenerational relationships.
It also argues that achieving the desired future requires practical action and discipline rather than relying solely on optimism about Africa’s potential.
In the afterword, Ifeoluwatari Ajadi, PhD, writes that African futures are shaped by choices, relationships and responsibilities.
“Afrilition reflects a deep belief that African Futures are not something we wait for. But something we actively shape through our choices, relationships and responsibilities,” he writes.
Afrilition: 21st Century African Manifesto is scheduled to be formally launched online on September 30, 2026.