Mo Ibrahim

Far from being hopeless, Africa is full of hope and potential, maybe more so than any other continent. The challenge is to ensure that its potential is utilised.

In the final analysis, finding a way to do clean business and not to pay bribes actually improves your bottom line.

A narrative that branded Africa as little more than an economic, political and social basket case was not likely to provide the investment needed to drive development.

Experience shows that when political governance and economic management diverge, overall development becomes unsustainable.

There is a crisis of leadership and governance in Africa, and we must face it.

If economic progress is not translated into better quality of life and respect for citizens' rights, we will witness more Tahrir Squares in Africa.

Africa is rich, and why are we poor then if our continent is rich. It is not right.

Remarkably, governments are beginning to embrace the idea that nothing enhances democracy more than giving voice and information to everybody in the country. Why not open their books if they have nothing to hide?

Nobody can come and develop Africa on behalf of Africans.

Now is the time for Afro-realism: for sound policies based on honest data, aimed at delivering results.

Celtel established a mobile phone network in Africa at a time when investors told me that there was no market for mobile phones there.

Educational opportunities have supported the rise of the African middle class, the professional cadre of young people who are now willing and able to contribute to Africa's future prosperity.

After the sale of Celtel, I really wanted to give the money back, and I had a number of choices - to go and buy masses of blankets and baby milk or to go into Darfur or Congo. That would have been very nice actually, but it's just like an aspirin: it doesn't deal with the problem.

What we need in Africa is balanced development. Economic success cannot be a replacement for human rights or participation or democracy... it doesn't work.

Increasing extremism - across Africa and the world - must be understood in the context of the failure of our leaders properly to manage diversity within their borders.

Africa should not again face isolation or stigmatisation based on ignorance and unrepresentative imagery.