Minister of Planning & Economic Affairs Minister Amara Konneh is among a new generation of African policymakers that are transforming their countries, according to a new book just released.

The book entitled: “Emerging Africa: How 17 Countries Are Leading the Way,” which has been released by the Center for Global Development in Washington, DC takes a fresh approach by recognizing the important differences between Africa’s emerging countries, the oil-exporters, where progress has been uneven and volatile, and the others where there has been little progress instead of treating sub-Saharan Africa as a monolithic entity. This important book describes the revitalization underway in the emerging countries and why it is likely to continue.

The book names Liberia’s current Planning & Economic Affairs Minister to be among a new generation of savvy, sharp, and entrepreneurial leaders that are emerging across Africa. They are rising through the ranks of government, starting up businesses, working as local representatives of multinational corporations, leading local NGOs and activist groups, and taking an increasing role in political leadership.

They are fed up with the unaccountable governments and economic stagnation of the past and are bringing new ideas and new vision, often fortified by travel abroad and a globalize outlook. With the new generation at the helm, Africa’s future looks increasingly bright.

Beyond celebrating Liberia’s monumental achievement, the book also takes a step back and examines just how these young Africans are leading.  Minister Konneh is aggressively leading on the implementation of Liberia’s development agenda, has traveled extensively on behalf of the Liberian Government to mobilize resources, currently leading on the development of Liberia’s next development strategy and is regarded as one of Liberia’s leading stars in the debt relief journey.  His engagement with Liberia’s development partners and insightful remarks at donor meetings has earned him respect and made him a shining star in the development community. 

When this paper contacted the Minister for comments, he attributed his accomplishments to the overriding importance of strong, responsible, and persistent leadership. He thanked President Sirleaf for giving him the opportunity to serve Liberia at this critical time; he also thanked his colleagues within the government, specifically his staff at the Ministry of Planning for making him a better leader.  The Minister said, “Our senior team knew the road to fixing the Ministry of Planning & Economic Affairs would be long and rough.  But, they refused to give up and overcame each successive wave of seemingly insurmountable challenges. With their hard work and support, we are getting there.”

The book refers to Konneh and other young African leaders in government, private sector, and NGO community as the “the coming of the cheetahs,” a new generation of Africans who know that Africa’s future lies in the education of a new generation of leaders. The book continued: “this generational change is now widely noted, both in Africa and abroad. “The cheetahs can found in all walks of society across Africa.  They are particularly important presence in the emerging countries, where democratic governance and friendlier economic policies are flourishing. Many combine fresh ideas, entrepreneurship, technology and just plain energy to lead,” the book continues.

Book Excerpts: “Amara Konneh fled Liberia when he was 20 years old when his family was viciously gunned down in the civil war. As a refugee in Guinea, he helped formed a refugee committee that took census and used the information to advocate for food supplies from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR). He then went to a local chief in Guinea to ask for land to grow beans, sold the yield on the local market, and used the proceeds to rehabilitate an abandoned building and turned it into a school (Musardou Refugee School) for Liberian refugee children of school going age. He soon had more than 100 students and impressed the International Rescue Committee so much that they began to provide school supplies and pay the teachers.They then hired Konneh as the refugee education coordinator for the Beyla Prefecture.  At age 23 he made his way to the United States, where he worked his way through universities, earning a bachelor degree from Drexel University and a master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University.  He then landed a plum job as a financial systems analyst at the Vanguard Group of Investment Companies (where he worked for 9 years rising to the rank of a manager) and settled down to enjoy life with his family in Pennsylvania. He came to Liberia in 2005 to campaign for the election of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and took a job as a deputy chief of staff in the office of the president spearheading policy initiatives. After 18 months in this position, he returned to the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University to study public administration (emphasis in economic development) and returned in 2008 at age 38 as minister of planning and economic affairs, one of the youngest ministers on the continent. He has attracted a smart young staff, and they are moving fast to develop strategies for growth, development and poverty reduction and to change relationship with donors, NGOs and others supporting those strategies. Konneh typifies the cheetah generation: young, energetic, technically savvy, and shaped by experiences both at home and around the world. They are poised to lead the emerging countries to a future very different from the past.”