By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
Africa must wake up — just like Benin — and put competent, capable people in charge of fighting the two forces that silently destroy nations from within: high inflation and high unemployment.
These two enemies don’t carry guns.
They don’t march in the streets.
They don’t overthrow presidents with military force.
But they topple governments all the same.
They collapse trust, ignite anger, and push societies toward the edge.
And if these are not fixed, we will continue seeing the same cycle of instability that has appeared in Mali, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and the entire map of the Arab Spring.
Countries do not fall because people hate democracy.
They fall because democracy fails to put food on the table.
A World on Fire — and Africa Is Not Exempt
As I travel across the world, one uncomfortable pattern keeps repeating itself — from West Africa to Eastern Europe, from Southeast Asia to Latin America:
Human suffering is rising.
Frustration is rising.
Despair is rising.
We are living in a global moment where societies feel abandoned, unheard, and unsupported. This is no longer an African problem; it is a worldwide phenomenon.
Today, global trust in democracy is collapsing at a historic speed.
Research shows that:
- A massive share of the world’s population now lives under authoritarian or autocratizing governments.
- More citizens — especially in developing countries — are beginning to prefer “strongman leadership.”
- Not because they admire authoritarianism, but because democracy has failed to deliver economic stability.
When the stomach is empty, political philosophy becomes a luxury.
This Is Not Love for Dictatorship — This Is the Economics of Desperation
People turn to strongmen when the system that promises freedom cannot deliver food, jobs, security, and dignity.
This shift is driven by four brutal realities:
1. High unemployment
Millions of young people graduate every year with nowhere to go.
A nation that cannot employ its youth is manufacturing future chaos.
2. High inflation
When prices double but salaries don’t, democracy becomes a theory — not a lived experience.
3. Weak governance
When institutions fail, citizens start looking for individuals to solve what the system cannot.
4. Daily survival struggles
You cannot preach about democratic ideals to someone who hasn’t eaten breakfast.
Desperation reshapes political beliefs.
Hunger rewrites moral principles.
Poverty reconfigures national identity.
The Hard Truth
When people can’t find work, when they can’t afford basic needs, when their children cannot dream — they will choose any system that promises order, stability, and relief.
Even if it is not democratic.
Even if it is not ideal.
Even if it comes at a price.
This is not an endorsement.
This is a warning.
The Warning Every Leader Must Hear
If we do not fix:
- unemployment, and
- inflation,
then citizens will continue choosing alternatives — any alternative — that offers relief.
History has already shown us the pattern.
We either learn from it, or we relive it.
Africa must wake up.
Leadership must evolve.
Competence must replace slogans.
Economic stability must be treated as national security — because it is.
A hungry nation will not listen to speeches.
A jobless nation will not wait forever.
A suffering nation will not defend a failing system.
Fix unemployment and inflation — or the people will choose something else.
And when they do, no constitution, no speech, and no institution will stop the tide.
Author: John S. Morlu II, CPA is the CEO and Chief Strategist of JS Morlu, leads a globally recognized public accounting and management consultancy firm. Under his visionary leadership, JS Morlu has become a pioneer in developing cutting-edge technologies across B2B, B2C, P2P, and B2G verticals. The firm’s groundbreaking innovations include AI-powered reconciliation software (ReckSoft.com), Uber for handymen (Fixaars.com) and advanced cloud accounting solutions (FinovatePro.com), setting new industry standards for efficiency, accuracy, and technological excellence.