Imad walks us through his formative experience in Algeria and Nigeria, reflecting on how the African continent has shaped him. He shares his perspective on how separate identities affect our relationships with ourselves, with Africans on the continent and within the diaspora; and how these experiences will shape the identity of what it is to be African for a new generation. Imad Mesdoua is the Senior Consultant for Control Risks' Africa analysis desk, where he leads on political risk consultancy engagements in sub-Saharan Africa. In this role, he works closely with an extensive team of country analysts, business intelligence consultants and security risk management experts to deliver complex consultancy engagements for clients across Africa. Imad has lived and travelled extensively on the continent, conducting regular research, consulting and business development trips. He is also a regular commentator on TV, radio and print media on political and security dynamics across Africa. Before joining Control Risks, Imad worked as a political risk analyst for a number of London-based risk consultancies, where he covered North Africa (the Maghreb) and West Africa. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx