‘Only Africa can save Africa’: the case for a summit built on jobs, the diaspora and follow-through
Organisers of the African Development Summit 2026 say the continent's missing piece is not talent or ideas but coordination and execution — and that the diaspora should be treated as partners and builders, not only as senders of remittances.
New York — The organisers of the African Development Summit 2026 have set out the argument behind this year's event: that Africa's development will be decided by Africans — on the continent and in the diaspora — and that the test of any gathering is what happens after it ends.
The case was made on Pan African Half Hour, in an episode titled "Only Africa Can Save Africa – The Summit Built for Action", published on 19 August. Host Olanrewaju Jay Adewole, president of the African Coalition for Development, was joined by co-host Gedeon Baleke, the coalition's general secretary, and Mamadou Saliou Diallo, president of the Guinean community in New York.
Jobs first
The panel identified jobs as the biggest development issue facing the continent, and pointed to industrialisation and private-sector growth as the route to creating them. Baleke framed the summit around jobs, industrialisation, youth leadership and pragmatic change.
The discussion returned repeatedly to one idea: Africa is rich in talent, resources and ideas, and what it lacks is coordination, commitment and execution. In practice, the panel said, "Only Africa can save Africa" means building institutions, adding value to what the continent produces and transforming its own resources rather than depending on outside powers.
The diaspora as builders
Diallo stressed the bridge between the diaspora and the motherland, and the need for Africans to build their own foundation. The organisers say they see the diaspora as more than senders of remittances — as partners, builders and leaders — and want the summit to connect capital, mentorship and credible opportunities across that divide.
Four sessions, one in person
According to the published programme, the summit was scheduled for 18 September as a side event to the United Nations meetings in New York, with three virtual sessions and one in-person session, and 24 featured speakers. The sessions were:
- The Africa We Want: Youth, Leadership, Diplomacy & African Institutions
- Building Africa's Next Economy: Enterprise, Capital, Technology & Jobs
- From SDGs to Real Lives: Community Development, Health, Food, Climate & Sustainable Africa
- Only Africa Can Save Africa: Leadership, Capital, Institutions & Action
The organisers describe the event as something other than another round of speeches: an attempt to build lasting relationships between the diaspora, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and grassroots leaders, with sessions designed to produce follow-through.
The full programme is on the African Coalition for Development website. The episode can be watched on the Pan African News Media YouTube channel.
Disclosure: Olanrewaju Jay Adewole, president of the African Coalition for Development, is also the host of Pan African Half Hour on Pan African News Media.
