I'm trying to tell you that there's a new wave on the continent. A new wave of openness and democratization in which, since 2000, more than two-thirds of African countries have had multi-party democratic elections. Not all of them have been perfect, or will be, but the trend is very clear.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the positive trend of democracy in Africa since 2000.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasizes a significant shift towards openness and democratization in Africa over the past two decades. She acknowledges that while not every democratic election has been flawless, the overall trend is clearly moving towards a more democratic structure in many African nations, indicating a hopeful future for governance in the continent.
In practice
In a speech addressing youth leaders, you could use this quote to inspire hope in the future of African governance.
When I became finance minister, they called me Okonjo-Wahala - or 'Trouble Woman.' It means 'I give you hell.' But I don't care what names they call me. I'm a fighter; I'm very focused on what I'm doing, and relentless in what I want to achieve, almost to a fault. If you get in my way, you get kicked.
The best way to help Africans today is to help them to stand on their own feet. And the best way to do that is by helping create jobs.
When you save the life of anyone, a farmer, a teacher, a mother, they are contributing productively into the economy.
Investing in women is smart economics, and investing in girls, catching them upstream, is even smarter economics.
I felt Nigeria didn't have to succumb to the image of being a corrupt country; we didn't have to let the economy stagnate.
I know what it means to go to the stream to fetch water... what it means when people are poor and don't have enough to eat. It's not enough to say you know about poverty. You have to live it.
If you want to reach out for something new, you must first let go of what’s in your hand.
My main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon.
Through Black Lives Matter and social media, we've been able to have a really challenging discussion with America about police and how much it is investing in policing.
We are 25 years too late. If the object is to avoid dangerous change, we've already had it. The object now is to avoid really dangerous change.
I have no fears that on a purely merit basis, we will have an embarrassment of riches from which to choose in order to reach gender parity.
Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use... Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce [28g] of marijuana.
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