Africa the Bread Basket of the World: A Journey to Seeking a Common Value System

By Evans Dakwa

 Africa is a rich but poor continent has become a cliché synonymous with describing how the continent is so much endowed with the much sought after natural resources yet it remains on the doldrums of economic development leaving most of its 1.4 billion people living in poverty.

 That Africa has huge potential to be the go to continent for the needs of the rest of the world is a no brainer but then it is not. A gaze from Cape to Cairo does not give a reflection of the massive potential the continent has and the question that begs an answer is why? Why has the cradle of human kind remained a continent of huge potential, abundant natural resources but with nothing to show for it? 

As much as it hurts to say, Africa is getting a raw deal in the exploitation of its resources and the situation needs to change if we are to realise our full potential. There is an urgent need to put a stop to the unravelling version of another scramble for Africa where the big super powers of the world only come to Africa to get cheap raw materials. Granted it’s not and will not be an easy task to accomplish but it’s doable, it’s possible only if Africans realise the anomaly in the status quo and take remedial action.

 Africa must wake up from its deep slumber and accept that the current situation where the continent continuously gets the short end of the stick in world economics is untenable if we are to seriously develop and sit at the table of the elite in terms of development.

 It is imperative for Africans to come together and develop a standard way of dealing with the big super powers and their multinational corporations. United we stand and divided we fall, political independence on the continent came through collaborative work and it is going to take the same to attain the much needed economic independence sure to spur our continent to levels reflective of its richness.

 As a continent, we are in dire need of a shift in our mind set, a dogged attitude that says we can do it as Africans, economic development for Africa begins in the mind before being actioned on the ground. Lessons are abound from across the world of how unity of purpose and decisiveness can do to the aspirations of our continent, not so long ago China was classified a poor nation. Now the Asian country is an economic giant, what was their secret? Be deliberate in policy implementation that is beneficial to their interests. Africa needs to restrategise and be deliberate in implementing economic policies beneficial to the development aspirations of the continent.

 Our bargaining power lies in numbers and it is time to develop a continental value system that defines how we deal with the current super powers and their continuous enjoyment of African resources at the expense of Africa and its people. We need a standard way of dealing with investors, a standard way of doing business and uniform set of rules governing investment into the continent, that way we can easily be heard and make whoever is coming to our continent for business conform to our demands as a continent. That way we defeat the often used divide and rule tactic often used in by the super powers using the artificial borders they created to their advantage.

 We need to create an investment climate that is identical, that frowns upon exploitation with no benefit, an environment that ensures we are equal partners at the negotiating table. A common value system will help Africa to force its hand and get its way. It will ensure a trickle-down effect of development. 

A single investment should be able to create downstream industries and benefits for the host people. The exploitation of African resources should be nipped in the bud and be a thing of the past. Our hope lies in creating a single value system that will ensure we whip into line those bringing capital to our shores or we risk remaining continent of great potential that will never be realised.