Africa: Africa out there is viewed as a one country. So, what should be done?
CHINA invited journalists from Africa on the sidelines of the Olympic Games to see the other side of the country which is not portrayed through the games. Being one of them, I was eager to go there and learn from experiences of a third world country that is currently challenging the technological and economic dominance of the developed countries.
After going around in Beijing and Tianjin, I concluded that our leaders at all levels should be taken on study tours of China and young students should choose China for their university level education.
But I will reflect on those experiences another time, I am today interested in discussing the way forward for Africa in the face of competing interests from major powers.
While in Beijing, we visited the Foreign Ministry to meet the country’s Special Envoy on African Affairs Ambassador Liu Guijin, who is China’s diplomatic gateway into Africa.
In his moving speech, Ambassador Liu hailed the beneficial cooperation between China and Africa and dismissed propaganda by the Western media that his country was exploiting African resources cheaply. He said his country was cooperating with Africa in the areas of infrastructure, hospitals and that plans were afoot to build schools in rural areas of Africa.
He emphasized that China was a sincere cooperation partner of Africa and it was baseless to view the continent as anyone’s backyard. Of course no one doubts China’s contribution to our development.
In Tanzania, evidence is everywhere to see, from construction of Tazara, textile factories, etc. Our cooperation has been that of teaching a person how to fish and not merely giving him a fish. However, from what Mr Liu said, I realised that super and emerging powers are viewing Africa as one of the most strategic places for their economic continuity and are competing for it.
Each power that matters is now trying to create a platform for discussing and making deals with the continent.
The latest country to organise such a summit is Turkey, a little known semi-European country, which is currently hosting African leaders at the Turkish-African summit. Asummit with Iran, another quasi-super power, is in the offing. So, what do they want from us? Take Tanzania for instance.
Mineral, oil and forest resources are there to tap and the middle class is growing and ready to consume foreign-manufactured goods. Therefore, industrialised countries
want these resources at cheaper price to keep their industries spinning and also want clients for their end products.
Now that everyone is interested in the continent, it is high time our leaders woke up and stopped throwing away resources cheaply.
China wants Africa, EU is in love, India is interested, the USA, now Turkey and Iran. Africa out there is viewed as a one country. So, what should be done? If I can borrow from the ideas of President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, who says that the problem for Africa is on the value addition.
He says that the total value of the coffee drunk in the whole world is now US$ 100 billion. Out of this US$100 billion, the coffee producing countries get only US$12 billion. The rest is taken by people outside the coffee growing areas.
The price is now US$2 per kilogramme and when you add value, that same kilogramme goes to almost between US$10 and sometimes even US$70 per kilo, he argues, adding that coffee should be blended in Africa for the continent to benefit.
Of course we cannot close our door and sit on our resources helplessly. We need their money and technology and therefore we have no other way but to work with them
(Emmanuel MUuga,Daily News)