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I remember when @EmmanuelMacron made the announcement at #Vivatech for his Digital Africa initiative. That part of his speech was in English. I was like, yes! Bye bye #francafrique, hello a new relationship between France and Africa.
Well.... old habits die hard. A thread. https://twitter.com/africatechie/status/1000809557789159426
Well.... old habits die hard. A thread. https://twitter.com/africatechie/status/1000809557789159426
It wasn’t clear what the program would look like or who would run it but eventually, in line with this “partners nor colonizers” mindset, the @DigitalAfrica__ association was founded with both African and French organizations as cofounders.
I was super excited to be one of the organization's co-founders, signing the agreement for the creation of the association on behalf of @AfriLabs. https://twitter.com/africatechie/status/999931624660840448?s=19
The idea was to make sure, though the @DigitalAfrica__ association, that African voices would have equal weight in this very new approach to Africa-France relations.
We elected a board and voted to make @ksyDaily the board chair. Afrilabs, represented by me, and @GEN22OnSloane, represented by @chukwude080 as well as French orgs like @AFD_France also elected.
As a very new model in which budget came from French government through @AFD_France but decision making was at the board level of @DigitalAfrica__, the organization took some time to set in place.
I don't think there exists any similar model and I can imagine that as an organization like @AFD_France, having a lone board of directors vote, even if it counts for double, must be an awkward position to be in.
But for me at least, perhaps in my naive, optimistic, entrepreneur self, the very structure of the organization was evidence that @EmmanuelMacron was determined to build a new, more equal relationship with young Africans of the continent.
Cracks started to appear when the organization's first executive was hired, @stephaneloise. It wasn't so much the person but the manner. The board received an email announcing her hire. Never were we consulted or made part of the process.
I, and others, raised this as a governance issue. We were assured that this was a one off. But because @stephaneloise wasn't hired by the board, she has never felt any need to report to us or consult us. Eventually, @ksyDaily resigned as president, although remained on the board.
We then elected @GEN22OnSloane representative @chukwude080 as VP and interim president. At least, the organization was still chaired by an African. Symbolic perhaps but still important.
Unfortunately, the situation never improved. The board is constantly circumvented and rarely informed, getting most of its information through social media announcements. Strategic, expensive decisions are taken with the board never informed, let alone agreeing.
The voices of the three African board members who, together, support a community of over a million African entrepreneurs, are ignored. When we complained, the French board members, led by board secretary @AFD_France, decided that the association should be dissolved.
In the end, it's their money, French taxpayer money. I get that. But it's OUR board. And we have a fiduciary, legal duty to the association that we are prevented from performing on.
It's ironic that it's we Africans who are all fighting for transparency, proper board governance and processes while the French organizations are trying to blow up the organization rather than fix it!
But this is a new era in Africa-France relations. The Africans haven't capitulated despite the pressure. We are completely united in trying to do what is right for the association, for African tech entrepreneurs, and for French taxpayers by pushing for diligent use of their funds
Surely @AFD_France and the other French orgs will get their way, dissolve the association and recreate a more French friendly one. But what a missed opportunity for @EmmanuelMacron to show in practice what he preaches A new partnership between France and Africa.
I should point out that there is a difference between the @DigitalAfrica__ association and the @AFD_France #DigitalAfrica fund which @AfriLabs and @ABANAngels have generously received project funding from that's being deployed in the Africa tech ecosytem.
