News, Analysis, Views, Commentary and Strategic Reports
on Energy, Human Development & Corporate Affairs in Africa
Despite Africa's abundant energy from the sun (solar energy - yet untapped), its vast mineral resources, rich vegetation and great human potentials, there has been a systematic lack of adequate kinetic energy to leapfrog the emergence of a developed continent of Africa.
It was difficult to establish a culture that would ensure growth and economic salvation under the prevailing ambience of human, political and economic slavery (external/internal) and jaundiced policies profound in Africa which in myriad ways contributed to her underdevelopment. Neither would market development and economic progress be realized in those periods of civil wars (in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, FR of Congo, Sudan, Somali, Ethiopia-Eritrea, Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire) that decimated Africa's human resources, nor would the wild reign of dictatorship in various African countries, corruption, nepotism, lack of infrastructures, unavailable technology, poor economic policies, low ebb of human development permit the engineering of Africa's development. There was also severe dearth of leaders in the business and economic sectors. Rather managers were more of robots, bosses and hatchet men for their political God Fathers whose stock in trade was to loot their people's coffers and suppress their humanity.
Today, a new era is setting in Africa. The African sun is rising again from the long eclipsed darkness. This new beginning has jolted the tortoise to start crawling out of its shell and the ostrich is no longer hiding his head under a heap of sand. Once again, the tortoise is learning how to transform its traditional slow walk to the fast sprints of a tiger. The ostrich is dropping its dowdy and clay- footed ambulations to pick up wings and soar like an eagle. Africa is waking up from decades of deep slumber.
Africa is no longer in chains. If there is any chain at all, it is a self inflicted, and misery caused by the political leadership of Africa on its people. Tabo Mbeki, president of South Africa, once told the UN General Assembly, "As Africans today we stand in front of the peoples of the world to make the pledge that we will honor the commitment we have made to ourselves and the world that we will act firmly to extricate Africa out of her long night of misery". African leaders should live to their words and be shining knights in salvaging Africa by implementing policies that will favor equitable development and lead with good conscience.
Some changes are becoming crystal in the socio-economic landscape of Africa. A wave of political awareness is building up amongst the people of Africa. This has helped them in questioning the foibles of their rulers and a demand for progressive leadership.
Markets have been constituted, fuelled by new macroeconomic policies, driven by profits from the oil and commodity sectors. There is a massive war against corruption in Africa. Nigeria is an example of an African nation which has launched a radical program to curb corruption. Nigeria and South Africa are two promising big markets in Africa. There stock markets are becoming more bullish. Many African nations such as Mauritania, Botswana, and Ghana to mention but a few have shown positive growth indications in their economy and human development. There's a progressive increase in the number of innovative leaders in the business terrain who have held the forte strongly for their organizations in achieving laudable goals. .
However, the recent changes are not enough to yield the panacea for visible development in Africa. A different paradigm is required to enhance the survival of corporate Africa and its socio-economic transformation. And that paradigm should entail aggressive human development, enabling environment, infrastructural development, and good governance, motivating and empowering the African work force. There should also be meaningful investment in the agricultural, manufacturing, information technology and service sectors. Africa needs reengineering and its human resources should be considered a vital asset in the re-branding the continent. For sure, the future of Africa lies in the hands of Africans.