Francophone Africa Should Follow France’s Lead in Creating Start-up Nations

While I will continue to use this blog as a repository for all my writing  — published work, haphazard thoughts and, of course, recipes — I'll be publishing a lot more on Medium in the future. I've been mulling over this decision for some time, but my friend Emmanuel Quartey over at The Flint is the one who cinched it for me with this point: Medium stories get a lot of reach because it works hard to surface stories to the people who are most likely to enjoy it.

My recent Medium piece takes a look at how Francophone Africa can cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and attract more investment. I've been following Emmanuel Macron's blueprint for making France the next start-up nation with some interest. As always, I have been thinking about what lessons can be garnered for Africa. In this case, particularly for Francophone Africa. 

You can find my thoughts here, which center on 5 key propositions:

  1. Leverage fiscal and regulatory synergies
  2. Position Abidjan as a regional finance hub
  3. Manage perception of risk
  4. Ensure access to Internet
  5. Developed a skilled workforce

Anything else you would add? Comment on my article, or shoot me a message.