Across Africa, many elites “outsource their ambitions to outsiders.” In practice, this refers to African government officials and leaders of civil society organizations choosing to defer to external actors (e.g., major allies and development institutions) to set targets for outcomes in health, education, infrastructure, poverty reduction, responses to climate change, and a number of other issues.

Sankofa is a Ghanaian philosophy that emphasises learning from the past to shape a better future. Embracing this philosophy may involve glorifying traditional practices through popular culture and art, supporting traditional livelihoods and ways of living (e.g., promoting rereruralisation, supporting industries such as breweries, agriculture, and fishing, etc), and teaching indigenous languages in schools.

Since 2020, there has been a resurgence of military coups d'etats and unconstitutional changes in government across Africa. The African Union (AU) has come under criticism for its "passive" reaction to these events, i.e., diplomatic urges to return to constitutional/democratic rule and suspension of membership from the union. On the other hand, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been lauded for its more aggressive approach in response to West African coup incidents, i.e., sanctions and even attempts at direct military intervention.