MY TAKE ON THIS: Alms from foreign forums won’t get Africa out of poverty
Tokyo by night. Tokyo International Conference on African Development held this year was the seventh in a row . PHOTO | FILE
Late last month, a number of African leaders travelled to Yokohama, in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ (Japan) for the seventh ‘Tokyo International Conference on African Development’ (Ticad-7).
This event is similar to another which is organised by China under the name tag of ‘Focus on China-Africa Cooperation’ (Focac).
A number of other Far East countries have also joined the bandwagon, and they organise annual international conferences during which they pledge to assist African countries in one way or another.
The Russian Federation (‘Russia’ for short) is also set to kick in with a similar meeting with top African leaders in October this year.
Usually, these host countries set aside millions of US dollars for assisting Africa. In a way, the money is the main magnate used to entice African leaders to troop to the meetings in the hope of securing a part of the chunk for their countries’ development.
But these conferences have been going on for years now. For example, while Ticad has just clocked seven years, Focac last year celebrated its 18th anniversary since it was set up. But the level of African development – which the conference organisers focus to drive – has shown little improvement, if any.
Recent reports show that Africa’s economic growth remain weak and there is no trickle down to the ordinary person. Several factors have been attributed to this.
However, there are some stories of little success in some parts of the continent; but nowhere have these international conferences – and the moneys dished out in their names – have been credited as the actual source of that small developmental change recorded!
Judging from what they say back home, African leaders have an answer to this question. They (African leaders) say they know that the countries which dole out millions of dollars to support Africa get the money from their taxpayers.
African leaders know that taxes are collected from profitable businesses. This means that Japan, China and the other countries get money to assist Africa because they allow businesses to thrive.
By parity of reasoning, it seems that African leaders do not trust businesspersons back home as national partners in wealth creation.
Indeed, they call for investments from outside the continent. But the way they treat investors leaves much to be desired.
If African leaders were true believers in foreign direct investment (FDI), then the solution would not be to lure prospective investors from outside the continent.
These very same leaders have been preaching that Africa is full of resources and a number of untapped potentials to make wealth. This means that only a little effort is required to enable businessmen in Africa to help their countries increase their revenue collections.
Periodic reports from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) show that Africa is notorious for poor business environment.
This situation is ample testimony to how African leaders value business as a way of making money.
If African leaders were true believers in the private sector as a crucial engine in wealth creation in their countries, they would not spend much time trooping to China and Japan for conferences, but would rather remain home and improve the business climate.
If they travel to those conferences, they would be going with the aim of seeking to attract more FDI and committed partners who would bring capital to their countries.
In the recent 39th Summit in Dar es Salaam of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), President John Magufuli spoke bitterly about the failure by the economic bloc and African countries in general to promote intra-trade among themselves.
Former Tanzania President (1995-2005) Benjamin Mkapa still holds this belief – and is very bitter when he sees some African countries looking at the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries as a panacea to Africa’s socio-economic woes.
It is not until African leaders stop the rhetoric that Africa can fend for itself – and start actively implementing such notions – that the continent will start to witness truly positive changes socially and economically.
Otherwise, we will continue with this vicious cycle whereby our leaders continue to attend these annual conferences, competing for handouts -- and they continue to forget that their countries and citizens have the capacity and ability to generate tenfold of what they are given by these so-called ‘development partners.’
Peter Nyanje is a media consultant based in Dar es Salaam. 0766979749
