In October 31, 2024 we published an article titled: It is time for white elephants to turn black, where we argued that while Africa has seen in the latest years significant infrastructure investment, much of it has created "white elephant" projects that primarily serve external interests rather than local needs, and this is causing growing disillusionment among the African population. We cited the Oxford Economics' 2024 Africa Risk-Reward Index, which highlighted that instead of connecting African urban and economic centers to foster regional integration, most infastructure projects have created a "spoke-and-wheel" network that facilitates exports to overseas markets. Hence, we concluded that given today's constrained borrowing environment, African governments should prioritize infrastructure projects that provide tangible benefits to their citizens and avoid costly, debt-burdening ventures. This shift is crucial to address the growing disillusionment among Africa's youth, who are increasingly questioning their leaders' development strategies. The core message of that article was that for Africa to achieve sustainable growth, it must transform these wasteful "white elephant" projects into assets that build real economic resilience for its people.

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The global economy has long operated on a linear, "take-make-dispose" model. In this system, raw materials are extracted, turned into products, and then thrown away at the end of their life. While this approach has driven the growth of most economies, it comes at a great cost: it depletes finite resources, generates vast amounts of waste, and harms the environment. For Africa, a continent rich in natural resources, this model presents a unique challenge, as it often bears the environmental and social burdens, such as pollution and deforestation, without reaping the full economic benefits. An alternative to this destructive pattern is the circular economy, a system that is restorative and regenerative by design.

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