Over the past few decades, the democratic climate in Africa has been unstable with

political violence, threats of terrorism, institutional corruption, climate induced conflict and economic decline. The increasing rates of unemployment across the continent, the growing insecurity as well as the debilitating levels of poverty and the failure of African governments to swiftly tackle these issues have contributed immensely to the tragedy of youth migration to Europe.

As such, most Africans have an opinion about politics and politicians; politics is dirty and politicians are incompetent. The narrative has created a sense of apathy among Africans, murdered the dreams of young people and poured scorn on their aspirations. Doubts have also been expressed across different sectors on whether Democracy can work for Africa. There is an increasing trust deficit in democracy, politics and politicians. The question is, how can democratic governance help address the socio-economic challenges in Africa? How can hope be restored among thousands of Africans, and democracy be made to work for all and not just for a select few?