The African Union Chief, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is rattled by the fact that 97% of the programmes at AU are supported by donor countries and argues that no liberated mind can have their development agenda funded by donors. The debate is going full circle: a continent rich in both human and natural resources deliberately chooses to ignore them and surrenders its best to donors. This is a crisis. 

In the unfolding world; individual African states will not be effective in defending their interests against powerful nations with GDPs that run in trillions of dollars. The continent's combined GDP - a combination of 54 nation-states – stands at USD 1.7 trillion. As majority of AU members brace to celebrate their 50 years of independence in the next three years; Africa urgently needs a rethink of its expertise and guiding philosophy. The predicament facing the African Union mirrors that of its members; they are loud on sovereignty but silent on what feeds sovereignty – productive populations. 

Africa should take courage to take the debate on the dangers of over-reliance on donor aid away from the high table - to town houses. Give African people a chance to be productive through sound policies and strategy measures that will get them to access finance; travel; register enterprises with ease and tap into the continent's under-exploited land and vast mineral resources. To achieve this; individual nation states must realize they stand little chance going out singly into the global jungle.