Sport is a great equalizer that can build bridges, transcend borders and cultures, and render even the fiercest conflicts temporarily irrelevant.
Africa's informal economy is one of the most innovative and inventive environments in the world. Yet it is an environment with little regulation in which workers are often exposed to hard conditions and live without a safety net.
As African economies boom and businesses are created, one of the big questions this growth raises is that of third-level education: how can Africa develop a knowledge infrastructure to rival that of the west, a sort of Harvard University in Africa?
Not only do African students deserve excellent universities, they deserve good elementary and secondary schools, too - and then, to have access to ongoing vocational and job training to ensure their skills remain as relevant as possible to African organizations.
Improving Africa's farming sector would have multiple positive outcomes for African people.
In the organization of any major sporting event or the planning of a building, long-term thinking is key.
Sport is one of the few spaces where people can learn about different cultures in a spirit of trust and friendship.
For African societies, no issue looms larger than employment. Only vibrant entrepreneurship and thriving small businesses can hope to provide the millions of jobs that are needed.
Sport is and should remain a great school of life that supports young people in their personal development. It teaches respect for others and also for oneself.
What the Olympics and other mega-events have shown is that the significant investment required to host an international games successfully has the power to transform a region, and even a nation.
Obesity is a problem that nearly every nation in the world is facing, but there is much that we can do to fix it.
It is my firm belief that action on the issues that matter for Africa must emerge from within Africa itself.
Sporting achievements bestow a sense of unification on the cultures and societies in which they take place and create an outpouring of nationalism and pride.
The cost of infrastructure development to host a mega-event can be offset against economic growth over future decades.
Even an unsuccessful Olympic bid can be the source of change within a city if organizers adhere to their vision.
Global sports tournaments have a range of benefits that go far beyond the games themselves. They can transform the image of a country or a region. They bring people together and reveal new possibilities to a nation's youth.
Bringing more large sporting events to Africa would help the continent develop sports policies and at the same time optimize its peoples' chances of achieving competitive success.
Africa's agricultural sector has enormous scope for development, which would benefit both the continent's economy and its people.
The factors that have been holding farmers back are similar to those that threaten other types of growth in Africa. Infrastructure and transport are in many cases quite poor, resulting in the losses of huge amounts of produce.
Inspiration, in its rich variety, must be present in any discussion about Africa. We need role models - they are essential to the advancement of our society.
