Making 'Africa Rising' a Reality in Nigeria

Until a few years ago, Africa Rising was a dominant theme in conversations about the global economy. That enthusiasm has since cooled, so that in newsrooms and think tanks and conference panels, "Africa Rising!" has given way to a more questioning "Africa Rising?"

While some of that pessimism may be justified, we do not have the luxury of distracting ourselves with lamentations about our current circumstances. Instead of hoping for commodity prices to rise, African countries should seize the opportunities that these times present -- not least here at today's U.S.-Africa Business Forum -- to lay a foundation for the kind of economic growth that transforms the lives of our people.