The curse of Agbayaism and the pain of the African youth
The word “Agbaya” is a Yoruba word that means “bad elder”—or an older person who acts in a childish or irresponsible manner. So “Agbayaism” is just a created word to give perspective on the issues of irresponsible elders in Africa.
In 2024, Kenyan Gen Zs staged a protest against a proposed financial bill that the government was seeking to pass, just as their counterparts in Nigeria did with #EndSARS protest of 2020, where they protested against police brutality against young people.
While both protests by the youths were supposed to be a peaceful protest to express their dissatisfaction with what was going on in their countries, things took a tragic turn. According to Amnesty International, at least 115 people were killed in the EndSARS protest by security forces, with at least 50 people killed in the Gen Z protest in Kenya, and others still missing.
But while all these things happened to these courageous children of Kenya who were asking for better governance in their country, the army of Agbayas came together around their table and once again shamelessly shared the nation among themselves. They used the Gen Z steam as their springboard for another act of Agbayaism. Within a year, the opposition parties were incorporated into the government, and once again, demoCRAZY was proven to be a false ideology for mass control. For if the people that were brought into power through what they called “Handshake” with the opposition were not elected by the people, while the deputy president who was elected with the president was shamelessly impeached, of what use then is democracy?
Now, according to AU data, by 2030, one in every four youths in the world will be an African youth between the age of 18 to 35. That is a staggering one-fourth of the entire population of the youth in the world. But the Agbaya syndrome that is ruling the countries in Africa is not creating room for this army of powerful people to find their place in the narrative of their own land. So there have been protests upon protests in Africa.
But here is the thing, you cannot change an oppressive system by street protests. You will only end up recycling the same people who are controlled by puppeteers, after your colleagues have been killed, kidnapped or just made to disappear. You can only change a system by revolution. But this revolution I speak of does not begin with guns and machetes. It begins with a change of mindset. It begins with doing a complete turnaround back to why we are a people. Why we are Africans. But it appears that when Agbayas have tasted of the forbidden fruits from the tables of their masters, the only thing they respond to is military coups. But should this be the case in a 2025 generation?
As I write this article, on the 22nd of May, there is a rumor coming out of Ivory Coast of a military takeover of the country and government. It is claimed that the internet in that nation was shut down by the military to prevent mainstream media from taking over the narrative, so much of what is happening there is not coming out. But why is this rumor relevant to this article? Remember, the government of Ivory Coast is the only country in West Africa to give the US a military base from where the American army can attack Burkina Faso, which is under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traore. What’s Traore’s crime? Take Africa from the hands of imperialism and give Africa’s resources back to Africans. But what does that mean?
It simply means that, once again, a presidential Agbaya dressed in a fine suit but with the heart of a slave, gave room for what the young Traore is doing in Burkina Faso to be destroyed by the West. But how long will African elders sell the souls and inheritance of their youths for imperial crumbs?
It’s so shameful to even think that the so-called developed countries, called France and US and the many others, want to kill a young leader in Africa because he is doing what the old puppets have not been able to do for decades. Really! They don’t even hide their evil intentions anymore, and then they speak of human rights and democracy.
Since independence, Burkina Faso has only about three thousand kilometers of tarmacked roads in the entire country. But here comes Traoré literally constructing a new Burkina Faso. He bought road construction machines, trained Burkinabes how to use them, and they went to work. Now, everywhere you go in Burkina Faso, road construction is going on. Not done by foreign construction companies, but by Burkinabes themselves. New factories are showing up everywhere. And it’s just the beginning. So, tell me, why would anyone in their right mind want to kill someone who decided to make life better for his people?
Check out the video we did about Burkina Faso HERE.
Let’s talk about trust and integrity in Africa
I am very sure that if you wake up any African from sleep and ask them what they want for Africa, chances are they all will say the same thing that they want a better Africa. An Africa where justice does not bow to the rich but follows the due details of the law, an Africa where politicians do what is right for the good of their people and not for the interests of some imperial lords. An Africa where the natural resources of the people are used for the good of the people and not sent out of the continent to appease some colonial interests. A functioning continent that allows all Africans easy access to every nation in Africa. And all these and more are good interests that every African should look out for in their continent.
But the truth also remains that Africa is not just a place, it is much more, a people. So, we cannot keep talking about change in Africa while pretending that we as Africans are not the Africa that needs to change. Change does not begin from the outside, it starts from the inside. Change is a mindset and not a story that we tell others about. And if the change in Africa must begin with the change of mindset of the African people, then we must begin with simple mind patterns that will prepare us for that which we seek for Africa. Let me share a LinkedIn post by a gentleman named Farouk Khailann. The post reads:
Do you have the mindset and tenacity to get things done, if you do, make sure you sell yourself, take charge of that responsibility. You can’t recruit anyone or rely on social media. “The critical work is off the internet ”. Work, read often, move, research and improve.
Once you become solid, make sure you are also findable by good strangers. Family and friends can be compromised, they believe in you but to what extent?
Learn to sell yourself, but not through superficial social media validation or impressive digital metrics. True personal branding goes far deeper than likes, followers, or viral content. The most effective and enduring way to sell yourself is through authentic service. When you lead with a heart to serve, whether it’s a client, a cause, or a community, you build a reputation that speaks louder than any online post. Service creates relevance. People remember how you made their lives easier, their businesses better, or their vision clearer. It’s not about being seen, it’s about being useful.
Value is the currency of influence. To sell yourself effectively, you must consistently show up with substance. Your ideas, your expertise, your presence, these should add measurable value to others. When people associate you with solutions, insight, and tangible results, you become indispensable. It’s not just about what you know or what you do, it’s about the unique edge you bring to every table. That’s what sets you apart in rooms where decisions are made.
Finally, trust is your most powerful selling tool. You can have talent and offer value, but without trust, none of it sticks. Trust is built through consistency, integrity, and emotional intelligence. It’s earned in how you follow through, how you communicate, and how you handle pressure. When people trust you, they advocate for you even when you’re not in the room. And that’s when you truly begin to rise, not because of a post or a pitch, but because your character sold you long before you had to.
In regards to Africans, the core of Farouk’s post was simply this: the Africa that must evolve must start with a revolution of the mind of individual Africans. Change in Africa cannot happen without integrity, trust, values, tenacity, consistency of purpose, character, authentic service, community alignment, unity, focus, vision, forgiveness and every other virtue that is required for change to manifest.
So, to the African youths, I must say, we must get to the place as Africans where we no longer come together only to protest bad governance or the leadership of Agbayas. We must come together to create new economic systems, innovative food systems, new governing systems and various other systems that will empower the very African youths who will be one in every four youths of the world come 2030. The treachery and sabotage from Agbayas have been from before the days of the beginning of Pan-Africanism and will not stop until we come to a clear understanding of what we are dealing with as Africans. The worm that destroys the fruit harvest is always within the fruits, not outside.
What's Your Reaction?
