Africa Takes the Mic: a new magazine tells the continent’s story from within

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has launched Integrate Africa Magazine (I.A.M.),an editorial platform that marks a decisive shift in how the continent’s present and future are being told. The magazine was unveiled on May 26 during the Bank’s 2025 Annual Meetings in Abidjan,at an event that blended culture,dialogue,and forward-thinking vision.

With I.A.M.,the AfDB is introducing more than just a publication—it is presenting a tool for narrative reinvention. In a time of rapid transformation and global challenges,African integration is no longer a distant promise but the starting point of a shared story. The magazine highlights how governments,supported by the Bank,are investing in real and effective connectivity: infrastructure,trade,energy,and mobility that are redefining what it means to be interconnected across the continent.

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The publication reflects a decade of strategic investments,but its focus is on what lies ahead—an Africa taking control of its own story,from its physical borders to its digital transformation. High-impact projects in health,agriculture,and pharmaceutical production not only signal progress but also shape a new narrative of resilience and African leadership. In this light,I.A.M. seeks to shift the lens: from dependency to interdependence,from underdevelopment to collaborative self-reliance.

One of the platform’s core strengths is its commitment to listening to those building the continent from the ground up. In its Views from the Ground section,youth,traders,innovators,and border officials speak with one voice: integration is not a technical option,but an urgent imperative. This participatory approach reinforces the idea that Africa’s new narrative must be constructed with diverse voices,rooted in real experience.

AfDB leaders such as Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade and Nnenna Nwabufo emphasized during the launch that the moment calls for more than just infrastructure—it calls for a lived experience of integration,a connected continental identity. Integrate Africa is,therefore,an editorial manifesto that invites readers to view Africa from within,to acknowledge its progress,confront its challenges,and believe in its ability to reshape the global narrative.

More than a catalog of achievements,I.A.M. is a bold,open platform designed to redraw the map of African development—telling the continent’s story with authenticity,clarity,and purpose. Africa is no longer waiting to be spoken for—it has begun to speak for itself.