Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Nigeria… They are under 40 and taking matters into their own hands in West Africa<

In politics or in sport, in a consulting firm or in finance, they have made audacity and ambition the engines of their career. Portraits of these men and women who, from Niamey to Abidjan, have decided not to wait for a place to be made for them.

In Africa, seniors are formidable. We praise their wisdom, but it is their egos that often shine. And when they hold the reins, it's hard to get them to let go. In governments, at the very top of the protocol order, being 60 or almost is a minimum. Romuald Wadagni, Minister of State for Finance in Benin, 45, and Antoine Diome, Minister of the Interior of Senegal, 47, are exceptional figures in this area, as is Malian Colonel Assimi Goïta, 38. , which by taking the palace of Koulouba in a panzer way participates in its own way in the renewal of the ruling class.

"Patience as we have been patient", seem to say as a whole the West African elites to the youth. Because in companies, apart from multinationals, which impose age limits on their executives, the regime is the same. The heirs do not have more privilege in this area and often have to wait for the death of their parent, or almost, to finally run the family business.

A necessary mental revolution

Yet in the streets, the youth is obvious. She is everywhere. One out of two West Africans is under the age of 18 and most will live in small, poorly paid jobs, dreaming in front of Instagram of the Champions League and the star system. Less than 5% of pupils entering primary school continue their studies after the baccalaureate and every year millions of formal jobs are missing to integrate the workers arriving on the labor market. Politicians and economic decision-makers must do much more so that the continent does not turn into a demographic bomb.

Increase education budgets, facilitate access to professional and continuing training, stimulate business creation, but also change mentalities and share responsibilities. Rather than confining all these "little ones" to thankless tasks, give them the short scale, so that they can, more than today, make their contribution to the take-off of the continent.

A mental revolution, which involves promoting new models. In the world of business, education, politics, there are a certain number of them, despite all the obstacles, to manage before 40 years to break the glass ceiling and take matters into their own hands. Inspiring journeys for young and old.

• Issouf Nikiema, stirring deputy-mayor of Komsilga

Elected to Parliament at the end of 2020, the native of the commune of Komsilga, self-appointed representative of the youth, is climbing the political ladder. At only 32 years old, Issouf Nikiéma has broken all the glass ceilings that often force young people to wait until their forties to claim leading roles.

Holder of a simple certificate of professional skills in geotechnics, the native of the village of Sabtoana, in the commune of Komsilga, located south of Ouagadougou, is today at the head of the construction and materials sales company. ENIF-BTP involved in twenty projects and whose turnover exceeds one billion CFA francs. Above all, he was elected deputy at the end of the year and now sits in the National Assembly.

“I got into general business and at the same time I financially supported my elders engaged in politics. I followed with the idea that when the time comes, I will be on the front line, ”he explains. Noted for his commitment, things accelerated in 2016 during the municipal elections. Some inhabitants of his village ask him to bring their grievances and he joins the list of candidates for the Union for Change, the party of the opponent Zéphirin Diabré with a view to becoming a municipal councillor.

The campaign is a success. The UPC wins 26 seats out of 71 and ranks second behind the ruling MPP. “To my surprise, the councilors of the MPP offered me the position of mayor and following the vote of the municipal council, I became mayor of Komsilga. A winning choice for the municipality since it has since managed to triple its budget, bringing it to more than one billion in 2020, thanks to better collection of local taxes and duties, particularly on land.

These resources enabled the town hall to finance the construction of schools and health centers in the 36 villages that make up Komsilga. Its performance was rewarded by the COPEGOL prize this year rewarding its efforts in terms of good governance.

Swapping his councilor's costume for that sometimes of a footballer, sometimes of a cyclist during sporting events organized by the town hall, Issouf Nikiema does not intend to rest on his laurels. President, within the UPC, of ​​the young people of the province of Kadiogo, Issouf Nikiema imposed himself against former tenors of his party like Nathanaël Ouedraogo to stand for the legislative elections at the end of 2020.

“In the Assembly, I consider myself the representative of young people and do not miss the opportunity to remind them”. Aware that it is by climbing the ladder that he will be able to apply his ideas, the young mayor is overflowing with ambition and already imagines himself in the shoes of a mayor of a large municipality, or even of Minister of Youth.

• Oyindamola Johnson, a bridge between Harvard and Niamey

Head of the African Development University (ADU) located in Niamey since January 2020, the Nigerian draws on his experience in management and social innovation acquired in Africa, Europe, Asia and America.

He grew up in southern Nigeria, lived in South Africa, in the United States. He likes to write, play Beethoven tunes on the piano, listen to soul music. "I am a citizen of the world," he sums up. I grew up with books around me… My parents were cultured and educated people. I am Yoruba above all, and with us, education, culture, open-mindedness are at the heart of everything. It is no doubt because he had more chances than some that Oyindamola Johnson put his life at the service of educating the poorest. At 38, he now heads the African Development University (ADU) founded in October 2017 in Niamey.

This "high school", sponsored by Harvard, welcomes nearly 200 students a year, handpicked, above all motivated, by offering them free education worthy of the best American universities. “Coaching, leadership, training”, all training courses are in English. “I chose Niger because I find the challenge more stimulating in a developing country, where there is everything to do. Afterwards, this country is not so far from my native Nigeria, I adapted very well there, despite the language barrier. My job is to train Nigerien leaders to stimulate local entrepreneurship, to pull the country up. »

A graduate of the very prestigious Quantic School of Business and Technology in Washington, among other things, Oyindamola Johnson has extensive experience in management consulting, project management and career development, acquired in the service of several international organizations (Africa Careers Network in 2019, Atlas Corps in 2016) and the Nigerian company Red Media Africa (2018), specializing in business consulting.

Since taking over the helm of ADU in January 2020, Oyindamola Johnson has focused on training women who now make up 70% of university students, "because in Niger they still have limited access to teaching”. ADU aspires to become a real “hub of innovation” and the best university in West Africa. When he gives his classes, Oyindamola Johnson insists on the secret of success: “Leadership is first and foremost about being the leader of yourself. Then, we become so for others… This is the message that I teach young people,” he concludes, not without pride.

• Jean-Luc Agboyibo, aiming straight

The 35-year-old Togolese, a fervent defender of social entrepreneurship, now works for the African Basketball League, and wants to make sport a development tool like any other.

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It is not uncommon for skeptical observers to question Jean-Luc Agboyibo on the relevance of his projects. This basketball enthusiast created an association in 2013 that promotes sport in Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, and supports nearly 5,000 young players, boys and girls. Wouldn't it be better, they ask, to ensure the needs of the communes in water, or in electricity, rather than to build basketball courts?

“Not at all, replies Jean-Luc Agboyibo. The best way to help people is to create space for them to help themselves. The young Togolese firmly believes in the virtues of sport as a community space and as a living environment for young people – which was the case for him. "If I decide to build a basketball court in the region where my father comes from, it's also for me that I'm doing it," he adds, he who claims "to have started small while dreaming big. »

At 35, he believes that his young age has never been an obstacle to fulfilling himself. “On the contrary, those who accompanied me appreciated my energy, my “crazy-crazy” side. Among them, the current general manager of NBA Africa, the Senegalese Amadou Gallo Fall. Jean-Luc Agboyibo has now joined him in the United States, and has moved away from his associative project.

He now works for the Basketball Africa League, an African basketball championship launched in 2020, the first edition of which was held in Kigali in May 2021. Twelve African teams competed in the Pan-African league.

Responsible for the management of partnerships, he dreams of seeing sport participate in the change of Africa. "There is a whole economy that can be created around sport, and it is a great gateway to developing the continent," he says. Inevitably, it takes time to build, but it is durable. »

Born in Togo, Jean-Luc Agboyibo spent most of his youth in France, where he studied and started his career. But in the 2010s, the Claude Guéant circular prevented him from finding work. The young professional is suddenly sent back to his origins and his skin color. His confidence in him wavers.

Today, he willingly recounts this episode of his life and is not afraid to talk about his failures or his depressions. He knows that the word is often taboo on the continent: "We don't talk about it, and yet it's part of the game. Mental health is an invisible barrier, the last lever that prevents Africa from achieve. We need to understand our own complexes without being in competition. Basically, it's like in sport: if you spend your time trying to catch up, you won't be able to fulfill yourself. »

• Hafou Touré-Samb supports SMEs in Côte d'Ivoire

After a remarkable career in finance, the young 29-year-old Ivorian created a strategy consulting firm aimed at African companies.

At 29, Hafou Touré-Samb has already made a name for himself in the field of finance. She joined Deloitte in 2014, then continued her career at the IFC (International Finance Corporation), a subsidiary of the World Bank devoted to the private sector, before joining the African Bank a little over two years ago. development as a consultant.

Passionate about numbers, the young Ivorian flew to the United States in 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis. First passed by Stony Brook University, she continued her quest for knowledge by obtaining an MBA in 2019 from the Wharton School, business school of the University of Pennsylvania. Then after being refused for the first time, she joined Harvard University to obtain a master's degree in public administration last year.

Even before his graduation, Hafou Touré-Samb had decided to return to Côte d'Ivoire, with an idea in mind: to create an investment fund. But very quickly, she realized that the need lay elsewhere. “Raising money, once the fund structure and the team are in place, is no longer the major concern. The difficulty is finding companies to invest in,” she says.

She therefore created HTS Partners (Hafou Touré-Samb Partners), a strategy consulting firm, which supports SMEs. “In Africa, 80% of businesses are SMEs. But they never manage to pass to the higher stage. We therefore identify those with potential and we help them to structure themselves,” explains the entrepreneur. Hafou Touré-Samb focuses on companies run by women, because they have less easy access to credit, she notes.

In 2020, when the economy was slowed down by Covid-19, HTS Partners worked with the Côte d'Ivoire PME agency to help companies survive the crisis. Nearly 2,000 people took part in the webinar she conducted. His expertise was also requested by the Minister responsible for the promotion of SMEs. “It's a chance to be able to influence the ecosystem at the highest level,” she believes.

Is his young age a strength or a handicap in his work? “It depends on the person in front. When she is open-minded, she encourages you because you are a woman, young, ambitious, who belongs to her. But in the French-speaking system, it must be recognized that white hair more easily inspires respect. That said, I have no problem making myself heard. No question of being walked on. »

• Laureen Kouassi-Olsson's high-end bet

Former representative of the Amethis fund in Abidjan, the Franco-Ivorian financier wants to support the rise of luxury made in Africa. Laureen Kouassi-Olsson invites us to meet at the Pavillon, one of the restaurants at the Hôtel Ivoire. View of the swimming pool and the gardens of the mythical hotel on the edge of the lagoon, revisited Ivorian dishes, it symbolizes what she wishes to embody: a link between France and the continent.

Born in 1983, Laureen Kouassi-Olsson grew up between Ivory Coast and France. She is part of the new generation of women whose name counts in the financial sector in Africa and is a member of the board of directors of several companies. “I grew up in a context where there were Structural Adjustment Programs and where we talked about debt. I told myself that my role should be to contribute to the development of the continent and the main channel was finance,” she explains.

With a master's degree in management obtained at EM Lyon business school, Laureen Kouassi-Olsson joined the investment bank Lehman Brothers in London in the mergers and acquisitions division. But in 2008, the bank went bankrupt. It's the financial crisis.

Then 24 years old, she remembers from this experience that everything can collapse at any time and that we must undertake with humility. “I said to myself that we had to do responsible finance and that it had to make sense. This is how I turned to Proparco and AFD after several experiences within African financial institutions”, she confides.

After eight years with the Amethis fund, where she managed the regional office in Abidjan, in March 2021 she launched Birimian Ventures, an investment company dedicated to the fashion and luxury sector in Africa.

“I realized that the image of the continent had to be changed. And for that, one of the most powerful channels is that of culture and creativity because we touch on image and desirability, believes Laureen Kouassi-Olsson. In addition to being able to combine my passion with my expertise, it is the opportunity to embark on a niche that will be extremely buoyant and almost virgin. »

Birimian Ventures invests in companies that are already profitable or have the potential to become so, totaling at least 40% of their sales already internationally. The company's activity was launched with a pilot phase that encompasses four brands. In the weeks to come, ten more will join its acceleration program in collaboration with the Institut français de la mode.

Over the years, Laureen Kouassi-Olsson has been able to turn her youth and her multiculturalism into an asset: “I had to work twice as hard to show that I was legitimate. But when you do, you become a rare and sought-after item. Companies want to have more women on their boards. The fact of being an African woman, young with a background of expertise and solid technicality in the financial sector, was my signature”, she rejoices.

• Caution Ogatcha, sportsmanship

The Beninese, based in Nigeria, makes innovation his primary motivation. At 33, Prudence Finagnon Ogatcha, head of operations at Globbr Co, a startup involved in the world of sport, confirms her entrepreneurial spirit. In 2013, he created his first company, Pliby, an on-demand music platform intended to "discover budding artists, not yet known to the general public". The "exhilarating" adventure that pushed him to settle in Nigeria was to last four years.

Created in 2018, Globbr Co specializes in the conception, design, production and distribution of sportswear (activewear) and sports marketing in business, in schools, and even in the army. “We dress students to run with their vision, and bring professional physical education to everyone. Our ambition is to create a common language to connect a team to its fans", explains the former graduate in mechanical manufacturing who also studied English and information and communication technologies (Bachelor of Science level). ) in Benin.

Entering university with “the ambition to get out of it with a PhD”, he remembers with a smile, he was finally caught up in the business world. In 2021, Globbr Co is one of the first eight startups to join the "Scale to $1M Startups" program set up last May by the University's El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization (EPIIC). of Colorado, Colorado Springs (USA).

Globbr Co is the only international company outside of the United States to take part in this six-month education and mentorship program, open to companies around the world, completely online where "each company works to build a base that will scale to the coveted $1 million valuation level. "Globbr Co is currently undergoing organizational, conceptual and operational restructuring and readjustment", explains the young Beninese who dreams of "rapid expansion to other African countries thanks to technology".

The only downside to his devouring passion: uncertainty. “This is what characterizes the ecosystem of startups in Africa”. But, he reassures, "when you understand that difficulties are opportunities, success necessarily comes at the end of the effort".