The exit of Muammar Gaddafi from Libya's leadership landscape may not necessarily translate into people appreciating the Western value systems. Democratic ideals push for a people driven leadership as opposed to dictatorship. The West may fall in a trap of imposing leaders and systems on people as Gaddafi did by attempting to export his revolution across Sub Saharan Africa.

Gaddafi did not hesitate to sponsor leaders who were not popular to their citizenry. Consequently, their leadership mandate did not originate from the citizenry. Imposed leaders have been a source of discontent in many African nations as they always serve the interests of those who propped them up as opposed to their nations. It is now clear that Africa's destiny is crafted from capitals outside the continent. Africans are yet to evolve a system that can establish and sustain a leadership culture that answers to their people.

To reverse this, the continent must seal up loopholes that breed discontent amongst the electorate by listening to them. Failure to do this will give fodder to chauvinistic maneuvers orchestrated by foreign powers. Knowledge of self, economic productivity, trade, clear structural fundamentals and understanding of geopolitical trends will save the continent from perennial upheavals. Africans must proactively nurture the culture of ideas backed by reason - ideas that will positively position Africa on the global agenda. A regime change that operates under the same global system is not enough.