Drug discovery research in Africa has lagged that carried out in the more developed nations of the world. Africa is often described as the “next frontier” in the global economy, yet a crippling disease burden continues to choke economic growth on the continent. It is thus vital for Africans to contribute to finding solutions to their health problems, which are not just African health problems but human health problems. Historically Africa has benefited immensely from medicines discovered and developed elsewhere. It is time for Africa to reciprocate and in the process contribute to the creation of science jobs in Africa as well as confront afro-pessimism and debunk the myth that Africa is not, and cannot be, a source of health innovation.