Below is  the keynote address by James James Shikwati, Director Inter Region Economic Network during the International Conference on ‘Geological Resources and Good Governance in Central Africa.’  The conference was hosted by Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) on 24-25 September2009, Yaounde, Cameroon.

It is a tragedy that Africa, in spite of its vast geological and human resources, still wallows in poverty with close to 75% of its population living on less than $1 a day. The continent hosts 8% of the world’s known oil reserves, about 30% of the planet’s mineral reserves including 40% of gold, 60% cobalt, 40% of hydroelectric power and 90% of World’s Platinoid Group of Metal reserves.  

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