President of the African School of Governance (ASG), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has cautioned African leaders against mistaking symbolic victories for genuine development, saying that correcting Africa’s distorted representation on world maps will neither build infrastructure nor drive economic prosperity.
Moghalu stated this while reacting to the United Nations General Assembly’s overwhelming vote backing efforts to promote more accurate representations of Africa’s geographical size.
The former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria said Africa’s real challenge remained productivity, institutional strength, education, industrialisation and effective governance.
Pinnacle Daily reports that the UN General Assembly recently voted 164–1 in favour of a resolution encouraging governments, schools, international organisations and technology platforms to adopt equal-area map projections, including the Equal Earth projection, instead of relying exclusively on the centuries-old Mercator projection.
The resolution, led by Togo on behalf of the African Group and backed by the African Union, seeks to address the distortion created by the Mercator projection, which visually enlarges landmasses closer to the poles while reducing the apparent size of regions around the equator.
Africa, which is about 14 times larger than Greenland, is often depicted on conventional Mercator maps as being roughly comparable in size to the island.
While describing the map correction as significant from the standpoint of historical representation and perception, Moghalu warned that it should not be confused with economic transformation.
“Representation is nothing. But a more accurate silhouette will not industrialise Africa,” he said, stressing that a corrected map would not “keep the lights on, raise yields, secure property rights, or produce the manufactured goods that move a country from poverty to prosperity.”
According to him, maps can influence how the world perceives Africa, but cannot substitute for the reforms needed to transform African economies.
He argued that Africa’s development challenge was fundamentally about how its states organise themselves, noting that countries that successfully escaped poverty did so through deliberate investments in education, industrial capacity, state institutions and long-term national planning.
Moghalu cited China, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam as examples, arguing that their economic transformation was driven by “seriousness about education, industrial discipline, state capacity and a long-horizon idea of national purpose.”
“The map followed the factories, not the other way around,” he added.
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The former central banker also drew attention to the gap between Africa’s political independence and its economic performance, arguing that decades after independence, much of the continent continues to struggle with low productivity, weak institutions, inadequate infrastructure and limited industrial capacity.
He cited International Monetary Fund figures showing that average nominal GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa stands at about $1,940, compared with $9,445 for Asia.
Moghalu said the disparity should force African policymakers to look beyond symbols and focus on the fundamentals of economic development.
“A corrected map can nourish pride. Pride without production is a mood, not a strategy,” he said.
He added that teaching Africans the true geographical scale of their continent could be useful in reshaping perceptions, particularly among younger generations.
But the more important question, he argued, was what African countries were building on the vast landmass.
“A fairer map is a beginning of perception. It is not the beginning of prosperity. The world does not owe Africa a projection. Africa owes itself a plan,” he said.
Moghalu further criticised what he described as Africa’s failure to translate political institutions and technological adoption into tangible economic gains.
He argued that although many African countries had embraced liberal democracy, weak institutions, electoral manipulation and poor rule of law continued to undermine genuine democratic governance.
Similarly, he said Africa had rapidly adopted digital technology and artificial intelligence applications without developing sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity, intellectual property and skills to turn technology into higher productivity.
“Nothing wrong with the New Map of Africa but it won’t create electricity, jobs, healthcare or skills that will power the continent’s exploding population curve,” he said.
He noted that Africa is projected to account for about 40 per cent of the global workforce by 2050, arguing that the demographic trend could become either a major economic advantage or a development crisis depending on whether governments create productive jobs and equip young people with relevant skills.
Moghalu contrasted Africa’s challenge with China’s response to demographic changes, noting that Beijing is investing heavily in artificial intelligence as it prepares for the implications of a declining population growth rate and an ageing population.
According to him, Africa must similarly think beyond the adoption of technology as a lifestyle and focus on using it to raise productivity and build competitive industries.
“It’s nice to be ‘with it’ with AI and the cell phone, but if we don’t turn it into PRODUCTIVITY, it’s simply fashion or a mood,” he said.
Moghalu said the continent needed a mix of ideas and execution, calling for “thinkers and doers” who can apply futures thinking to Africa’s long-term development.
He said the correction of Africa’s image on global maps could help challenge long-standing misconceptions about the continent, but warned that changing perceptions without changing economic realities would amount to little more than symbolism.
The real measure of Africa’s progress, he maintained, would ultimately be determined not by how large the continent appears on a map, but by the strength of its institutions, the productivity of its people, the quality of its infrastructure and its capacity to manufacture, innovate and create prosperity.
Victor Ezeja is a Nigerian journalist skilled in producing insightful news analyses, feature stories, and interviews that simplify complex issues and drive informed public discourse. His work combines rigorous research, balanced reporting, and compelling storytelling to highlight developments shaping industries and society. Victor, who holds a Master's Degree in Mass Communication, specializes in energy, aviation, business, and economic reporting. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X