For years, young Africans have been told that they are the future. Yet, as that future keeps moving further away, it is worth asking: who gets to shape it? As the continent faces changing economies, growing populations, climate pressures, technological shifts and new social challenges, the way we understand leadership must also evolve. Reimagining leadership is not simply about finding new people to occupy positions of power. It is about questioning the assumptions that determine who is considered ready to lead, who gets trusted with responsibility, and whose voice is taken seriously.
One of the most important assumptions we need to rethink is the relationship between age and power. Young people are often described as the leaders of tomorrow. People between the ages of 15 and 24 make up about one-fifth of the continent’s population, making youth central to Africa’s present and future. Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world, yet young people are still often treated as though they're waiting for their turn. They are encouraged to participate, speak up and share their ideas, yet they are frequently expected to wait before they can truly lead. If we are serious about building a different future, young Africans must not only be prepared for leadership someday; they must be given meaningful opportunities to lead today. Rethinking leadership means changing our relationship with age and power.
This does not mean older people should be pushed aside. Across African societies, elders have traditionally been respected for their experience, wisdom and knowledge, offering valuable guidance, institutional memory and perspective that can help younger leaders make more informed decisions. Before colonial rule, communities had their own ways of organising society, resolving disagreements, making decisions and passing knowledge from one generation to another. Colonial rule disrupted many of these systems, introducing new structures of authority that reshaped how leadership was understood and who was given power.
In many African communities, respect for age has long been tied to the value placed on elders’ experience, wisdom and role in guiding others. This tradition remains important, but it becomes a challenge when respect for age turns into permanent control. Experience matters, but it should not be the only measure of leadership. Young people bring fresh perspectives, adaptability and a strong understanding of emerging challenges. Rather than being kept from responsibility until they gain experience, young people deserve opportunities to lead and learn. Africa can honour its elders while also creating space for the younger generation to lead. Every experienced leader was once inexperienced. People learn by taking on responsibility, making decisions and being accountable for the results.
History gives us useful examples. Among the Oromo people of Ethiopia, the Gada system organised parts of political and social life through age groups. Leadership and responsibilities moved between groups at different stages of life rather than remaining with one person forever. The Kgotla tradition in Botswana also created spaces where community matters could be discussed, with elders playing an important role in guiding conversations and decisions. These traditions were not perfect and cannot simply be copied into modern politics; however, they show that leadership can combine experience with the gradual transfer of responsibility to the younger generations.
The problem today is that young people are already carrying many of Africa’s biggest challenges. They are navigating difficult economic conditions, responding to climate change and insecurity, building businesses, creating technology, and organising communities, yet they often have limited access to decision-making positions. If young people are already contributing to solving these problems, then leadership structures must create meaningful pathways for them to take on responsibility, lead, and learn alongside those with more experience.
The 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria showed this clearly. Young Nigerians came together to demand an end to police brutality. They used social media to organise, share information, raise funds and bring national attention to their concerns. The movement became a major national conversation and contributed to the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. While many young Nigerians saw EndSARS as proof of their ability to drive change, some older Nigerians questioned whether protest and social media mobilisation demonstrated the experience or maturity needed to lead. Whatever one thinks about the movement and its outcome, it showed that young people could organise, influence public discussion and demand change.
However, #EndSARS also exposed a gap. Young people could bring thousands into the streets and spark a national conversation, yet having a strong voice outside formal institutions did not automatically secure them a meaningful place within those institutions. This is why youth inclusion must go beyond inviting young people to events or creating youth committees. If young people are expected to help shape Africa’s future, they must also be trusted with real responsibility today. This raises an important question: if young people can organise and drive change, why are they still so often excluded from positions of leadership and decision-making?
There are signs that this is possible. In 2024, Bassirou Diomaye Faye became president of Senegal at the age of 44. His election did not prove that younger leaders are automatically better than older ones. Age alone cannot determine whether someone will be a good leader. But this rise challenged the idea that serious political leadership must always belong to much older generations. It showed that younger people can move from watching political change to becoming part of the people responsible for leading it.
The lesson is not that Africa should replace older leaders with younger ones, but that leadership is strongest when there is an intergenerational collaboration. Older people bring experience, institutional knowledge and can serve as mentors, while young people bring fresh perspectives, new skills and a closer understanding of emerging challenges. This is where the older generation has an important role: their responsibility should not be limited to remaining in positions of power, but should also include sharing what they have learned, mentoring others, and creating opportunities for the next generation to grow. When different generations are committed to learning, growing and building together, knowledge is passed on, institutions are strengthened, and leadership is sustained to continue beyond any one individual. Leadership, then, should not be shaped by age, but by one's ability, character, willingness to serve, and commitment to prepare others to lead.
This is the balance Africa needs. We do not have to choose between the wisdom of older people and the energy of younger people; we need both. The goal is to create space for generations to work together while allowing responsibility to gradually change hands, ensuring that experience is passed on and new leadership has room to emerge.
This is also why legacy is an important measure of leadership. A leader’s legacy is ultimately about what remains after they leave. It could be the people they have empowered, the institutions they have strengthened, and the opportunities they have created for others to continue the work. We should therefore think differently about what success in leadership looks like. It should be measured not only by what someone achieves while in office, but also by the people they prepare for new and evolving leadership roles, and the systems they build to outlast their tenure. If everything falls apart when one person leaves, then perhaps that person built a position around themselves rather than building lasting leadership.
Young Africans also have a responsibility. Asking for a seat at the table is only the beginning. Leadership requires discipline, patience, and service. Young leaders should be willing to learn from older generations and recognise that not everything from the past needs to be discarded. Some traditions and values remain useful. At the same time, they should have the courage to question systems that no longer serve people well.
Rethinking leadership means recognising that Africa’s future cannot be built by one generation alone. Young Africans are already shaping businesses, communities, movements, technologies, and solutions to the challenges around them, while older generations carry experience, knowledge, and lessons that should not be lost. The task is to bring these strengths together to create space for young people to lead, while ensuring they are mentored, supported, and given opportunities to learn. Leadership should not be about holding power indefinitely, but about preparing others to carry it forward. When generations collaborate, responsibility can be passed on with purpose, institutions can outlast individuals, and leadership can remain strong beyond any one generation.
