LOMÉ — George Elombi has called on African journalists, media organizations, and digital communicators to fundamentally rethink how the continent is portrayed globally, urging a decisive shift away from crisis-driven narratives toward balanced, confidence-building storytelling.
Elombi, a Cameroonian banker and senior executive at Afreximbank — where he serves as Executive Vice President overseeing strategic operations in trade finance, governance, and institutional development — is widely regarded as one of the key continental voices on Africa’s economic transformation agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the Biashara Afrika 2026 Conference in Lomé, Togo, he warned that Africa continues to be defined externally by stories of conflict, disease, and instability, while its economic progress, integration efforts, and institutional achievements receive far less attention.
“We cannot join the rest of the world to think that every time there is something to report about Africa, it has to be wars here, Ebola there, civil strife here,” he said. “Too many good things are happening.”
He stressed that this imbalance in storytelling risks distorting global perceptions of Africa and weakening investor confidence, even at a time when continental integration efforts are gaining momentum.
Elombi also criticized the tendency within African media ecosystems to amplify isolated negative incidents while underreporting high-level continental dialogues and development initiatives that shape Africa’s future.
“The mindset has to switch,” he said, warning that continued negative framing of the continent will reinforce outdated stereotypes and undermine economic opportunity.
His remarks come at a critical moment as the African Union advances Agenda 2063, the continent’s long-term blueprint for inclusive growth, integration, and transformation.
Within this framework, experts argue that communication is not secondary — it is strategic. Without a strong African narrative infrastructure, even the most ambitious development agendas risk being misunderstood or underrepresented.
Executive Vice President, Afreximbank
(Video Credit: HIA Facebook page)
This is where continental institutions such as the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) and AU communication platforms become central. Strengthening ACALAN’s role in promoting African languages, identity, and indigenous knowledge systems — alongside a more coordinated AU media architecture — could significantly reshape how Africa tells its own story.
A properly resourced and strategically groomed ACALAN–AU media ecosystem would not only amplify African voices but also strengthen civic engagement, improve policy communication, and bridge the gap between continental institutions and ordinary citizens.
Such a system, observers argue, would directly support Agenda 2063 by ensuring that Africa’s transformation is not only implemented, but also understood, owned, and communicated by Africans themselves.
As Elombi’s remarks suggest, the future of Africa’s development is not only economic or political — it is also deeply narrative. And how that story is told may ultimately determine how the world responds to Africa’s rise.
