Africa is a sleeping giant -- I'm trying to wake it up

"Africa is like a sleeping giant," says journalist and satirist Adeola Fayehun at the beginning of this hilarious, incisive talk. "The truth is I am trying to wake up this giant. That's why I air the dirty laundry of those in charge." Follow along as she roasts corrupt African officials and shows why the continent already has all it needs to take its rightful place on the world stage -- if only leaders would start taking responsibility.

What's up, people?

First of all, I cannot believe
I'm on TED Talk.

This is a big deal.

Because right now,

everybody in my village is watching this.

And so, of course,
my bride price just went up.

My name is Adeola Fayehun.

I'm from Nigeria.

I live in the US,

I'm a journalist, or a comedian,

or a satirist,

anything you want me to be, really.

I'm every woman, it's all in me.

I host a YouTube show called
"Keeping It Real with Adeola."

Now this show is a gentle,
respectful and very blunt way

of calling out corrupt African leaders.

(Video) President Buhari: I don't know
which party my wife belongs to,

but she belongs to my kitchen.

Adeola Fayehun: Oh, my God!

I need some water --

I said I need some water!

See?

I basically keep it real with them, ha!

Especially when they mess up,
which is a lot of times.

If any African official
is watching me, by the way,

I'm not talking about you, sir.

I'm talking about your colleagues, yes.

I do this because Africa
has everything in it to be great.

You know, I grew up believing

that Africa as a continent is a giant.

We've got skills, intellectuals,

natural resources
more than any other continent.

Africa supplies 31 percent
of the world's gold,

manganese and uranium,

57 percent of the world's diamonds

and 13 percent of the world's oil.

We have no reason to depend on aid

or borrowing money
from China or the World Bank.

But without good leaders,

we're like an eagle
that has no idea it could fly,

let alone soar.

Africa is a like a sleeping giant.

Now the truth is,
I'm trying to wake up this giant,

and that's why I air the dirty laundry

of those in charge of the giant.

Our politicians, our religious leaders,

with huge respect, of course,

because more than anything else,

African leaders love to be respected.

So I give it to them in doses.

On my show,

I kneel for them -- ha! --

I call them my uncles, my aunties,

my fathers in the lord,

and then --

I insult them for insulting
our intelligence.

And it's because we are tired

of the hypocrisy and false promises.

For example,

the Nigerian president
vowed to end medical tourism

by fixing our dilapidated hospitals

and building us new ones.

But what did he do?

He spends three months
receiving treatment in London in 2017.

We were without a president
for three months.

We were president-less for three months.

So then it becomes my job
to call out the President,

with respect, of course.

I said, "Ha, Mr. President,
it's your girl, Adeola.

You know how I do,
how you doing?

You have no shame."

I forgot to add "sir."

"Sir, you have no shame.

[unclear]

You have no fear of God."

Thirty-five thousand Nigerian doctors
are presently working in the US,

the UK and Canada,

doing amazing things,

because in Nigeria,
they are not well-paid,

neither do they have
the necessary equipment

to do the job of being a doctor.

And this is happening
in many African countries.

We have the capacity to fly.

But sadly, a lot of African talent
is flying straight out of Africa

to other continents.

For example,

this Nigerian doctor
operated on an unborn baby

in Texas.

Also, this Nigerian doctor

discovered the neurological effects
of concussion on athletes.

And many countries have African athletes

winning the gold medal for them.

The interesting thing is,

we're waiting for God to fix Africa.

Like, for real, it's not a joke,
we are, we're waiting for God.

I mean, just look
at the president of Burundi.

He's jailing journalists
and opposition members,

but he declared national day of prayer

so that people could pray
for God to fix the country.

And I'm like, shouldn't he
be fixing the country?

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.

We want God to fix it.

Do you see what I have to deal with?

I'm telling you,

thunder is getting ready
to hit these politicians some day.

We are better than this.

I want our leaders
to start taking responsibility

and stop putting everything on God.

God has given us everything we need.

It's right here, let's use it.

But here's the thing,
my favorite part of what I do

is featuring Africans doing amazing work,

ordinary people touching lives.

Like this Kenyan woman, Wangari Maathai,

the first African woman
to receive the Nobel Peace prize,

for standing up for human rights

and planting a million trees.

Also this Zimbabwean woman,

Dr. Tererai Trent,

who was married off at the age of 14

in exchange for a cow.

Yet, this woman taught herself
to read and write,

and she ended up on Oprah's show.

Oh, Father, I want
to be on Oprah some day.

Today, this woman has built schools

for thousands of children in Zimbabwe.

Also, popular British architect
David Adjaye has designed

spectacular buildings around the world.

And he's both Ghanian and Tanzanian,

so we know that it has to be
the Ghanian Jollof rice,

which he ate,

that gave him the inspiration to design.

Ah, maybe it's the Nigerian Jollof rice,

because Nigerian one is better.

Anyway, but that is what gave him
the inspiration to become

the great man that he is today.

And while I have your attention,

I have one more thing to say,

so please move closer.

OK, that's good,
don't get too close, that's good.

I don't like the way some of you

portray Africa.

Not all of you, just some of you.

You especially.

First of all, it's not a country,
it's a continent.

I do not know Paul from Uganda,

I don't know Rebecca from Zimbabwe.

Nigeria is as far from Zimbabwe

as New York is from France.

And it's not a bunch of naked people
in need of Western charity.

You have it all wrong.

Lions are not roaming our streets, OK?

And I could go on,

but you already know
what I'm talking about.

So while I try to do my job,

trying to wake up
the sleeping giant, Africa,

so she could take her rightful place
on the world's arena,

you can your bit, too.

Please listen more.

Listen to your African friends

without a preconceived notion

of what you think
that they're going to say.

Read African books.

Oh, my God, watch African movies.

Or at the very least,

learn some of the names
of our 54 beautiful countries.

That's right, 54, baby, five-four.

Alright, y'all, it's been real,

and I'm keeping it real right up in here.

Until next time,
I'm going to see you all later.

Peace out.