ThankGod Agbagu views the paved roads and skyscrapers that have sprung up in Lagos, Africa's largest city, as the signs of a brighter future.

"That's development, progress," the 30-year-old tailor said in a July 30 phone interview from Nigeria's commercial capital. "I definitely see many opportunities out there. Things may not really get better in my lifetime, but maybe it will for those that come after us."

A two-decade surge in growth in Africa suggests the poorest continent is starting to come to grips with its challenges and has raised the prospect of the "African lions" emulating the "Asian tiger" economies in the 21st century. Africa's advantages include vast untapped resources, a youthful population, and an expanding middle class. Offsetting these are rampant poverty and inequality, a rise in Islamist militant violence, and appalling infrastructure.