The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa Hardcover – 4 Mar 2014

Review

""Bright Continent" will change your view of Africa. It's that simple. Dayo Olopade looks with the eyes of a first-generation Nigerian-American and sees a landscape of ingenuity, technological innovation, and grit. A lively and enjoyable read." --Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of the New America Foundation "Dayo Olopade has written a book that bracingly lives up to its title. In it, an Africa we are all too unaccustomed to seeing comes vividly to life thanks to her restless eye and keen curiosity. It is one of local solutions born of necessity and local heroes who arise from even the most fragile soil." --Howard French, author of "A Continent for the Taking" ""The Bright Continent" is a long overdue and much needed corrective to the dominant perception of Africa. It is a book loaded with revelations of heroic, and often ingenious lives, all of which are eloquently and poignantly brought to life through Dayo's brilliant observations." "--"Dinaw Mengestu, author of "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" and "All Our Names" "This book captures the complex thoughts of a whole generation of young Africans. Olapode shows Africa as it is, a complicated space occupied by real people with the desire and the power to shape our futures." "--"Uzodinma Iweala, author of "Beasts of No Nation" and editor of "Ventures Africa Magazine" ""The Bright Continent" is an absolute brightness. Sidestepping dead-end debates, the indefatigable Olopade maps out a contemporary Africa which is vital and self-reliant. Her definition of the Yoruba term kanju as 'specific creativity born from African difficulty' will enter the English language. Through strong reporting and clear thinking, Olopade demonstrates how to improve the lives of African youth stuck in a purgatory of 'waithood.' This is essential reading."
--J.M. Ledgard, Director, Future Africa, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and longtime Africa correspondent, "The Economist"

"In her debut book, Nigerian-American journalist Olopade finds qualified cause for optimism about Africa's future...A refreshingly hopeful argument, well-grounded in data and observation--of considerable interest to students of geopolitics, demographics and economic trends."
--Kirkus

"Nigerian-American journalist Olopade's first book rebuts the view of Africa as mired in poverty, war, and failed aid projects, and instead offers a hopeful perspective." --Publishers Weekly

"The Bright Continent is a long overdue and much needed corrective to the dominant perception of Africa. It is a book loaded with revelations of heroic, and often ingenious lives, all of which are eloquently and poignantly brought to life through Dayo's brilliant observations."
--Dinaw Mengestu, author of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears and All Our Names

"This book captures the complex thoughts of a whole generation of young Africans. Olapode shows Africa as it is, a complicated space occupied by real people with the desire and the power to shape our futures."
--Uzodinma Iweala, author of Beasts of No Nation and editor of Ventures Africa Magazine

"Bright Continent will change your view of Africa. It's that simple. Dayo Olopade looks with the eyes of a first-generation Nigerian-American and sees a landscape of ingenuity, technological innovation, and grit. A lively and enjoyable read."
--Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of the New America Foundation and Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University

"Dayo Olopade has written a book that bracingly lives up to its title. In it, an Africa we are all too unaccustomed to seeing comes vividly to life thanks to her restless eye and keen curiosity. It is one of local solutions born of necessity and local heroes who arise from even the most fragile soil."
--Howard French, Associate Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and author of A Continent for the Taki

""Bright Continent" will change your view of Africa. It's that simple. Dayo Olopade looks with the eyes of a first-generation Nigerian-American and sees a landscape of ingenuity, technological innovation, and grit. A lively and enjoyable read." --Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of the New America Foundation and Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University

"Dayo Olopade has written a book that bracingly lives up to its title. In it, an Africa we are all too unaccustomed to seeing comes vividly to life thanks to her restless eye and keen curiosity. It is one of local solutions born of necessity and local heroes who arise from even the most fragile soil." --Howard French, Associate Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and author of "A Continent for the Taking"

"This book captures the complex thoughts of a whole generation of young Africans. Olapode shows Africa as it is, a complicated space occupied by real people with the desire and the power to shape our futures." --Uzodinma Iweala, author of "Beasts of No Nation" and editor of "Ventures Africa Magazine"

""The Bright Continent" is a long overdue and much needed corrective to the dominant perception of Africa. It is a book loaded with revelations of heroic, and often ingenious lives, all of which are eloquently and poignantly brought to life through Dayo's brilliant observations." --Dinaw Mengestu, author of "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" and "All Our Names"

""The Bright Continent" is an absolute brightness. Sidestepping dead-end debates, the indefatigable Olopade maps out a contemporary Africa which is vital and self-reliant. Her definition of the Yoruba term kanju as 'specific creativity born from African difficulty' will enter the English language. Through strong reporting and clear thinking, Olopade demonstrates how to improve the lives of African youth stuck in a purgatory of 'waithood.' This is essential reading."
--

"Together, these maps form a new mental and strategic landscape, one based on possibilities, not merely perils, and we should be grateful to Olopade for her reimagined cartography." - The Plain Dealer

"The author gives a multitude of examples and a huge mass of fascinating detail. Her case is persuasive...for anyone who wants to understand how the African economy really works, 'The Bright Continent' is a good place to start." -- Reuters

"In her debut book, Nigerian-American journalist Olopade finds qualified cause for optimism about Africa's future...A refreshingly hopeful argument, well-grounded in data and observation--of considerable interest to students of geopolitics, demographics and economic trends."
--Kirkus

"Nigerian-American journalist Olopade's first book rebuts the view of Africa as mired in poverty, war, and failed aid projects, and instead offers a hopeful perspective." --Publishers Weekly

"The Bright Continent is a long overdue and much needed corrective to the dominant perception of Africa. It is a book loaded with revelations of heroic, and often ingenious lives, all of which are eloquently and poignantly brought to life through Dayo's brilliant observations."
--Dinaw Mengestu, author of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears and All Our Names

"This book captures the complex thoughts of a whole generation of young Africans. Olapode shows Africa as it is, a complicated space occupied by real people with the desire and the power to shape our futures."
--Uzodinma Iweala, author of Beasts of No Nation and editor of Ventures Africa Magazine

"Bright Continent will change your view of Africa. It's that simple. Dayo Olopade looks with the eyes of a first-generation Nigerian-American and sees a landscape of ingenuity, technological innovation, and grit. A lively and enjoyable read."
--Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of the New America Foundation and Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton Univer

"A corrective to Africa's image as a dark, hopeless place...A hopeful narrative about a continent on the rise." --"The New York Times"
"The author gives a multitude of examples and a huge mass of fascinating detail. Her case is persuasive...for anyone who wants to understand how the African economy really works, "he Bright Continent" is a good place to start." --"Reuters"
""Bright Continent" will change your view of Africa. It's that simple. Dayo Olopade looks with the eyes of a first-generation Nigerian-American and sees a landscape of ingenuity, technological innovation, and grit. A lively and enjoyable read." --Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of the New America Foundation and Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University

"[Olopade] seamlessly traverses the continent, threading a narrative that shows how African innovation is playing a vital role in its own development...This book is filled with numerous examples that ought to make you rethink your perceptions of Africa." --"The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"

"Together, these maps form a new mental and strategic landscape, one based on possibilities, not merely perils, and we should be grateful to Olopade for her reimagined cartography." --"The Plain Dealer"
"Dayo Olopade has written a book that bracingly lives up to its title. In it, an Africa we are all too unaccustomed to seeing comes vividly to life thanks to her restless eye and keen curiosity. It is one of local solutions born of necessity and local heroes who arise from even the most fragile soil." --Howard French, Associate Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and author of "A Continent for the Taking"
"This book captures the complex thoughts of a whole generation of young Africans. Olapode shows Africa as it is, a complicated space occupied by real people with the desire and the power to shape our futures." --Uzodinma Iweala, author of "Beasts of No Nation" and editor of "Ventures Africa Magazine"

""The Bright Continent" is a long overdue and much needed corrective to the dominant perception of Africa. It is a book loaded with revelations of heroic, and often ingenious lives, all of which are eloquently and poignantly brought to life through Dayo's brilliant observations." --Dinaw Mengestu, author of "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" and "All Our Name"

"The Bright Continent is an absolute brightness. Sidestepping dead-end debates, the indefatigable Olopade maps out a contemporary Africa which is vital and self-reliant. Her definition of the Yoruba term kanju as 'specific creativity born from African difficulty' will enter the English language. Through strong reporting and clear thinking, Olopade demonstrates how to improve the lives of African youth stuck in a purgatory of 'waithood.' This is essential reading." --J.M. Ledgard, Director, Future Africa, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and longtime Africa correspondent, "The Economist"

"In her debut book, Nigerian-American journalist Olopade finds qualified cause for optimism about Africa's future...A refreshingly hopeful argument, well-grounded in data and observation--of considerable interest to students of geopolitics, demographics and economic trends." --"Kirkus"

"Nigerian-American journalist Olopade's first book rebuts the view of Africa as mired in poverty, war, and failed aid projects, and instead offers a hopeful perspective." --"Publishers Weekly"

A corrective to Africa s image as a dark, hopeless place A hopeful narrative about a continent on the rise. "The New York Times" "The author gives a multitude of examples and a huge mass of fascinating detail. Her case is persuasive...for anyone who wants to understand how the African economy really works, "he Bright Continent" is a good place to start." "Reuters" "Bright Continent" will change your view of Africa. It's that simple. Dayo Olopade looks with the eyes of a first-generation Nigerian-American and sees a landscape of ingenuity, technological innovation, and grit. A lively and enjoyable read. Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of the New America Foundation and Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University

[Olopade] seamlessly traverses the continent, threading a narrative that shows how African innovation is playing a vital role in its own development This book is filled with numerous examples that ought to make you rethink your perceptions of Africa. "The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"

"Together, these maps form a new mental and strategic landscape, one based on possibilities, not merely perils, and we should be grateful to Olopade for her reimagined cartography." "The Plain Dealer" "Dayo Olopade has written a book that bracingly lives up to its title. In it, an Africa we are all too unaccustomed to seeing comes vividly to life thanks to her restless eye and keen curiosity. It is one of local solutions born of necessity and local heroes who arise from even the most fragile soil." Howard French, Associate Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and author of "A Continent for the Taking" This book captures the complex thoughts of a whole generation of young Africans. Olapode shows Africa as it is, a complicated space occupied by real people with the desire and the power to shape our futures. Uzodinma Iweala, author of "Beasts of No Nation" and editor of "Ventures Africa Magazine"

"The Bright Continent" is a long overdue and much needed corrective to the dominant perception of Africa. It is a book loaded with revelations of heroic, and often ingenious lives, all of which are eloquently and poignantly brought to life through Dayo s brilliant observations. Dinaw Mengestu, author of "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" and "All Our Name"

"The Bright Continent is an absolute brightness. Sidestepping dead-end debates, the indefatigable Olopade maps out a contemporary Africa which is vital and self-reliant. Her definition of the Yoruba term kanju as 'specific creativity born from African difficulty' will enter the English language. Through strong reporting and clear thinking, Olopade demonstrates how to improve the lives of African youth stuck in a purgatory of 'waithood.' This is essential reading." J.M. Ledgard, Director, Future Africa, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and longtime Africa correspondent, "The Economist"

In her debut book, Nigerian-American journalist Olopade finds qualified cause for optimism about Africa s future A refreshingly hopeful argument, well-grounded in data and observation of considerable interest to students of geopolitics, demographics and economic trends. "Kirkus"

"Nigerian-American journalist Olopade s first book rebuts the view of Africa as mired in poverty, war, and failed aid projects, and instead offers a hopeful perspective." "Publishers Weekly""

From the Inside Flap

The path to progress in Africa lies in the surprising and innovative solutions Africans are finding for themselves
Africa is a continent on the move. It s often hard to notice, though the Western focus on governance and foreign aid obscures the individual dynamism and informal social adaptation driving the last decade of African development. Dayo Olopade set out across sub-Saharan Africa to find out how ordinary people are dealing with the challenges they face every day. She discovered an unexpected Africa: resilient, joyful, and innovative, a continent of DIY changemakers and impassioned community leaders.
Everywhere Olopade went, she witnessed the specific creativity born from African difficulty a trait she began calling kanju. It s embodied by bootstrapping innovators like Kenneth Nnebue, who turned his low-budget, straight-to-VHS movies into a multi-million-dollar film industry known as Nollywood. Or Soyapi Mumba, who helped transform cast-off American computers into touchscreen databases that allow hospitals across Malawi to process patients in seconds. Or Ushahidi, the Kenyan technology collective that crowdsources citizen activism and disaster relief.
"The Bright Continent" calls for a necessary shift in our thinking about Africa. Olopade shows us that the increasingly globalized challenges Africa faces can and must be addressed with the tools Africans are already using to solve these problems themselves. Africa s ability to do more with less to transform bad aid and bad government into an opportunity to innovate is a clear ray of hope amid the dire headlines, and a powerful model for the rest of the world.
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