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Africa has arrived on the world platform, trying to find its ‘equal’ footing

Saturday August 16 2014

If, for a second, we put aside dysfunctional political systems in some countries, raging wars, corruption and violation of human rights in others, it’s refreshing to report that, if the African continent was a girl, we would say that, for the first time ever, she is being courted and told by all possible suitors that she is beautiful, worthy and respectable enough to court.

Nations such as China, India, Japan and most recently, the United States have held summits with African countries, with promises of aid sans “good behavior” conditions like in the past, but investment and trade as “equal” partners.

At the recent US-Africa Summit, President Barack Obama told his African invitees, (about 50 Heads of State and government) that “It’s time for a new model of partnership between America and Africa, a partnership of equals that focus on Africa’s abilities…and…capacity to grow.”

Now, before reflecting on why, suddenly, Africa is for the first time being seen as a place to invest and Africans as “equal” partners to do business with, let me point out two fundamental shifts from how the world has engaged the continent in the past, suffice to state that it took Obama six years to invitee African leaders, not because he doesn’t care, but because he is politically shrewd.

If he had rushed to dine and wine with African leaders in his first term, with a raging economic crisis then, his political enemies would have dubbed him “an African Obama, looking out more for African interests.”

I think his public call for “equal partnership,” his Power Africa project and Young African Leaders’ Initiative, are substantive contributions that will have real impact.

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But if we may ask, why, suddenly, is everyone interested in investing in Africa and invoking equality?

I think there are three broad reasons: the first has to do with history and the evolution of acceptable behaviour on how nations engage each other; the second is that the continent is now a demand-driven market and can’t be ignored and finally, the perceived threat posed by China.

Historically, Africa in the past had inconsequential relations with the world, when Europeans were only interested in slave labour. This was the age of master and slave.

When Western economies industrialised, land and raw materials in the 19th century were needed and this brought colonisation and the master-saviour and subjects epoch.

With the destruction from two world wars, collapse of empires and institutionalisation of civilised behaviour in the international system, through the United Nations, came self-determination, and Independence. With this, came unconditional aid during the Cold War and the birth of patron/client relations.

The collapse of the Cold War brought structural adjustment and conditional aid in early 1990s together with “good governance” taught by the Western master to the “backward” Africans.

In our age, the developed world has not only faced an economic crisis with some European economies becoming basket cases, China is resurgent, investing over $200 across Africa and extracting raw materials without seeking a master status.

These transformations are taking place at a time the continent is discovering more natural wealth and its market has and is expanding.

Today, the continent’s population has exceeded a billion people, has the youngest population, and is projected to grow faster than any other in the next 50 years, with a middle class of 350 million people according to African Development Bank. This is a substantive market.

In the past, Africa wasn’t a demand-drive market. Today, in many cities from Cape Town to Cairo, ordinary people are lining up to buy fast food; shopping malls are sprouting up everywhere and are filled with shoppers.

While poverty is still endemic in many countries, there is little doubt that incomes are rising as is purchasing power.

To truly benefit, individual African nations need to prepare by clearly mapping out interests and drawing up strategies to guide negotiations and intelligent contracting.

Dr Christopher Kayumba, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the School of Journalism, the University of Rwanda, and managing consultant at MGC Consult Ltd. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @CKayumba