By J. Wendell Addy
Maryland, USA – I recently spoke at a conference in Egypt about Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for Effective Primary Healthcare Ecosystems: challenges and enablers. I called for Africa’s transformation and the urgent need for a rules-based investment environment, which we’ve termed the Private Sector Bill of Rights (PSBoR). After the session, a young African woman approached me. She introduced herself as a medical doctor, not a trader, not an entrepreneur, not an investor.
What she did next shocked me, in the best possible way
She went online, read everything she could about the PSBoR, saw the benefits of peace and stability, and within 72 hours had mobilized her network. She committed herself and her team to help drive this agenda across Africa. She offered to do it pro bono. Not once did she ask me, “How can I help?” She acted.
Now, contrast that with the reaction I often get from many who claim to speak for or lead the private sector. Time and again, the response is not action, but questions. “How can I help?” “What’s in it for me?” “Who else is involved?”
It is disheartening. We are discussing a charter crafted by Africans for Africa that aims to institutionalize peace, security, access to finance, legal certainty, and investment predictability. This is not another talk shop. The PSBoR is a tool to unlock Africa’s economic destiny.
That a medical doctor—trained to save lives, not write business plans—can instantly recognize the PSBoR’s power to drive development, create jobs, and foster stability, should shame those who claim to be at the forefront of Africa’s business advocacy.
The reality is stark: Africa does not lack ideas. Africa lacks doers.
We must stop waiting to be invited into our future. The PSBoR offers a pathway for real change in tandem with the RECs and AfCFTA protocols to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Africa. But it requires courage, initiative, and ownership, not more meetings, not more polite questions.
To those who still ask how they can help: the answer is simple. Just start. Read the PSBoR. Share it. Adopt it in your associations. Advocate for it. Live it.
If a young doctor can act decisively, what excuse do you have?
Social Media Version A Wake-Up Call to So-Called Private Sector Champions
Last week, I spoke at a conference in Egypt. After my session, a young African woman—a medical doctor, not a businessperson—introduced herself. She later went online, read about the Private Sector Bill of Rights (PSBoR), and within 72 hours, committed herself and her group to champion the PSBoR pro bono across Africa.
She didn’t ask, “How can I help?” She acted.
She understands what many in the business world still don’t: peace, security, and a rules-based business environment are not abstract ideals. They are the foundation for access to finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development.
Ironically, it’s the people who claim to be “private sector champions” who are often the first to ask, “How can I help?”
That question reflects the problem.
The PSBoR is not a theory. It is a call to action. It is about transforming Africa into a predictable, attractive, and fair investment destination. That a doctor can grasp this instinctively—while some private sector leaders hesitate—is both inspiring and deeply disappointing.
To those still asking how to help: if you’re not acting, you’re not helping.
