Most recently, Mr. Niang was invited to give a lecture for the MTL Connecte event. The main topic: the promises and challenges of the digital revolution in Africa. Hosted by the correspondent of the French newspaper Le Monde in Canada, Hélène Jouan, this interview had the appearance of a brilliant plea for a better guided and better equipped youth. Using both English and French, Thione Niang spoke about a recent JeufZone project, which aims to stimulate and train young people so that they take charge of the fate of the African land. How? Quite simply by developing agriculture, the basis of all economic activity. In addition, he spoke about Give1Project , which aims to help young people build a future for themselves in their native land.

The day after this conference, we met one-on-one with the 43-year-old man so that he could share his vision of a better world.

Kaolack, Dakar, New York and Cleveland

Born into a poor family in Kaolack, a large city in Senegal, Thione Niang finished his secondary studies in a high school in the capital, Dakar, at the age of 16. At that time, he dreamed, like many other Senegalese, of going to the West. Where, it seems, life prospects are better. His preferred destination: Uncle Sam's country.

In 2000, Thione Niang migrated to the United States. Nothing was easy. It was thanks to a fourth visa application that he was able to land at the home of a family friend who lived in the Bronx, New York. He worked in the megacity as a taxi driver. "I was sleeping on his couch," says Niang, who only had a few dollars in his pocket at the time. He quickly found a job in a restaurant. Having amassed $800 in three months, he got on a bus and decided to move to Cleveland to continue his university studies.

What he discovered in this Ohio city left him perplexed. “At first, I was shocked by this city. I had never seen so much poverty and social inequality within black communities. So in my early twenties, I asked myself what I could do to improve the lot of these communities, to which I had become close. I started volunteering for the city hall. Little by little, I became a sort of municipal campaign specialist for Kevin Conwell, in 2005.”

Mr. Niang then became deputy campaign manager for mayoral candidate Frank Jackson, a mixed-race Democrat who is still in office. He later worked as campaign manager for black congresswoman Shirley Smith, who wanted to become a senator. She introduced him to Senator Barack Obama in 2006 in Columbus.

Today, Niang believes that his time in Cleveland was crucial for the rest of his life. “I learned to appreciate the place. It’s my city. I lived there for ten years. I led the Young Democrats from Cleveland. Everything I know about American politics, I learned in Cleveland. I even have a 15-year-old son who lives there… And I still have a lot of friends there.”

"Yes, We Can"

At the age of 30, in 2008, Thione Niang proved himself in Barack Obama's election campaign. The slogan Yes We Can suited him perfectly. In particular, he helped raise funds. The following year, while Obama was in charge of the White House, he was appointed president of international affairs for the Young Democrats of the United States.

In 2009, a speech by Obama inspired Mr. Niang: he created a foundation called Give1Project. Present in 34 countries around the world, including 23 in Africa, its mission is to ensure the autonomy of young people. “After the end of the electoral campaign, he spoke to us about the importance of making things happen from America. I decided to create an organization that could build bridges for young people, something I did not have when I grew up in Senegal. Give1Project provides knowledge in entrepreneurship and leadership. This training lasts a few years and is aimed at teenagers as well as people in their forties.

"It provides them with tools so that they can provide solutions to the different problems in their community. In addition, they have had the chance to visit other countries in order to open up to other cultures. I have also accompanied groups for years in various nations."

In 2012, Thione Niang again asked for the support of young Americans for Barack Obama. As the national president of Generation 44 (Gen44), Obama being the 44th president of the United States, Thione Niang leads the campaign's finance committee for those under 40. Thione Niang's name is circulating all over the United States. He is considered a respected black activist.

Agriculture: “You have to make it cool”

Convinced that a good leader is one who leads by example, he decided to return to Senegal in 2014 and cultivate several hectares of land himself. In doing so, he encouraged young people to change their perspective on agriculture.

“When I returned to Senegal, I tried to find solutions that were adapted to the population. I noticed, among other things, that most of what Senegalese people consume comes from outside the country. It was shocking to see that. I said to myself: ‘ It’s time to go farming .’ Senegal – which has youth, sunshine, good land, a good climate – still had difficulty feeding its people. I thought about how to make agriculture attractive to young people. In their eyes, it was synonymous with misery, far from what a “real business” could constitute. So, you have to make it cool.

“If they see people like me, who have had the chance to live in Washington, who have traveled the world, they are more accepting of our ideas. If they see us going deep into villages with our rubber boots on to work, they are more likely to accept the proposition. The best way to teach is through action . So it was up to me and my colleagues to go into the field and set an example. They understand that agriculture is business. Today, thousands of young people are returning to the land, to my great surprise. I think that in a few years, Africa may be feeding other populations in the world. Why not? That’s my dream.”

Digital skills

In this agricultural universe, another element is crucial according to Mr. Niang. Infrastructure is still very insufficient, in Senegal, but also everywhere in Africa. "I am thinking of access to energy and the Internet. When we talk about digital tools, we must install optical fiber across the entire African continent. Currently, access to the Internet is very expensive.

"If governments could partner with private companies to build the right infrastructure, it could take African people to the next level of trading and exchanging money through the Internet. There are over 400 million cell phones on the African continent. But the Internet is often inaccessible or very limited."

To try to address this fundamental problem, Thione Niang recently founded Give1Project Digital Skills Academy , a center that will train African youth in digital technology careers.

Based in M'bour, a city south of Dakar, the center has been officially open since June 2021. It welcomes young people who are trained in artificial intelligence, online commerce, cybersecurity, coding, cryptocurrency, etc. Admitted students receive a scholarship. They are also housed and fed during their four-month course.

Good leaders

For Thione Niang, who finances these various projects through international partnerships, private donors and conference income, social entrepreneurship is one of the solutions to ensure a better future for humanity. "We must revolutionize the education system in Africa to train young people in digital professions, among other things. The next generation needs modern schools to have the tools they need.

“I am an eternal optimist. But, I constantly ask myself what I can do to improve the lives of young people, who will rule the world tomorrow. I am not an expert in agriculture or digital transformations. That said, I believe that good leaders are those who find solutions, who inspire and accompany people towards a better future.”