In Africa, as in many parts of the world, failure is often stigmatized. From an early age, young people are warned against mistakes, discouraged from experimenting, and taught to play safe. Yet, if we examine the lives of the most competent and successful people across history, one truth emerges clearly: failure is not the opposite of success, it is the foundation of competence.

When you try and fail, you may not achieve the result you wanted. You may lose resources, time, or recognition. But what you cannot lose is knowledge. You gain insight into processes, people, strategies, and your own limits. You learn how decisions play out in the real world, how risks translate into rewards, and, most importantly, how to act better next time. These lessons cannot be bought, borrowed, or replicated, they are eternal assets.

Africa does not suffer from lack of ideas. It suffers from lack of people willing to act, fail, adjust, and act again.

Williams O. Omodunefe

Many African youths hesitate to take bold steps because they fear judgment. Friends may mock, relatives may scoff, and society may label you a fool. Yet, the very act of trying, of engaging with reality and testing your ideas, positions you several steps ahead of those who never attempt. While others remain spectators, you are actively building decision-making muscles and honing your judgment.

Competence, after all, is not measured by the absence of mistakes but by the ability to navigate complexity. A youth who has failed while experimenting with business, coding, or civic initiatives understands human behavior, market dynamics, and the consequences of choices. A youth who has never tried remains limited to theory, and in life, theory without practice has no authority.

Key Takeaways:

1. Redefine failure: Not achieving a goal does not equal defeat; it equals learning.
   
   

2. Value experience over perception: Knowledge and practical insight are more powerful than the approval of others.
   
   

3. Build decision-making capacity: Each attempt, regardless of outcome, strengthens your ability to choose wisely in the future.
   
   

4. Ignore societal judgment: The mockery of others often signals that you are on a path they lack the courage to pursue.
   
   

African youth have a tremendous opportunity today: access to knowledge, global markets, technology, and platforms to act. But access alone does not confer competence. Competence comes from engaging, experimenting, failing, reflecting, and repeating. It is the compound interest of action over time.

Failure is not your enemy. Fear of judgment is your true adversary. Step boldly, act decisively, and let experience shape you into a youth who is not only knowledgeable but respected for the wisdom to make sound decisions.