As a continent, Africa is often branded as the continent plagued with wars, terrorism, coups and a range of social self-inflicted woes. The narrative is changing as the Continent’s citizenry becomes increasingly aware of democratic practices and governance processes taking place in other countries. This is, in the main, buoyed by telecommunications and, particularly, social media, which is increasingly playing an educational role in Africa’s citizenry. Signe and Gurib-Fakim (2019) commented that the transformation that Africa has undergone in recent decades has been remarkable. Africa is shaping its own destiny and should be referred to as the ‘African opportunity’ instead of the threat. Recognising Africa as an opportunity rather than a threat is critical for governments, citizens and researchers globally as it will position Africa’s countries to face challenges and further boost desired development trends. In this edition of the African Journal of Governance and Development, we explore issues of foreign aid, secondary education, higher education and social media. We explore these issues with a view to scope out the opportunities and challenges in shaping Africa’s development trajectory and build the Africa we want.