Africa must restrategise

If  Africa’s leadership agreed to an expanded and enfranchised business development model whereby foreigners who want to do business in Africa  would be required  to show proof of capable, experience and qualified Diaspora inclusion, that would  do more to enhance opportunities. But since the leadership is easily bought on a dime - taking anything and everything from the highest bidder regardless of long term impact on their nation, it is hard to convince them to consider such legislation or policy. 

Nigeria, for example,  has what is called the Local Content Act, making sure Nigerians are given a shot at opportunities foreign corporations present. However,  given the ‘front’ nature of some Nigerians, that is, fronting for foreigners even at the detriment of the nation, the Act is a laughable provision. But do not despair, for even in the US, some African-Americans are known to ‘front’ for majority owned firms for a little cake at the table. The reason?  In most cases, no real business experience has been gained to make them qualify to be prime. It is always about ‘take the money’ and pretending to be doing something. Is it in the blood of black folks to undermine themselves? This is debatable. 

Most Ministers in Africa are easily bought for a mere $100,000 to sign away national resources worth millions/billions of dollars. Back in the 90s, I hosted an Agricultural Minister from Sierra Leone, Harry Will, who served during Kabba. Mr. Will, upon return from his US trip, was relieved of his duties and charged with corruption and misappropriation, not unrelated to what he did while in the US. I was disappointed by his conduct and wondered why anyone would give him such national role. I consoled myself by saying that when the desirable is not available, the available by default becomes desirable, but soon shows why it is undesirable.  By the way, Harry Will, holds a PhD and once worked for the UN on food production matters.

Take the case of a former oil minister of Nigeria, a professor of morbid anatomy but someone from the oil producing region of Nigeria, who former military head IBB, appointed minister. Mr. Tam David West, was sent to jail for accepting a gold wrist watch and obligating Nigeria to an oil contract that has the entire nation scratching their head and is on choke hold. Whether this was a trumped up charge or real, one hear stories like that. 

During Kenya’s  former president  Kibaki  tenure, a 20-something year old Briton dazzled Kenya’s entire entire financial sector and  its fiscal and monetary leadership with funny money instruments that saw Kenya Shillings nose dive to its present exchange rate parity. Why was he successful? He colluded with a Kenya finance ministry official. The Present Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ms Okonjo-Iweala, in her first debut during former President Obasanjo’s tenure, demanded to be paid in Dollars instead of Nigeria Naira - a slap on Nigeria, that someone they brought in to help rescue the nation, did not have faith in the country’s currency. She got what she wanted. 

In her attempt to stabilize the Naira, she is encouraging Nigeria to borrow more. Well, why would anyone be surprised, she came from World Bank, whose primary role and function, is to saddle nations with debt. Nigeria, paying down her foreign debts and having some of the debts forgiven, has not provided any good traction for the Naira. The exchange rate parity of the Naira during the military led regime was better than what happens now. In late 1990s, before Obasanjo took over in 1999, a Nigerian with One Million Naira, had a glorious Dollar equivalent of nearly $12,000. In Ms Okonjo-Iweala’s financial reform leadership, the same One Million Naira, is mere $6,000, a loss of more than 50% value in less than 14 years. You be the judge. PhD or no PhD.

The saying by FDR that no nation or people should undermine their own economic wellbeing obviously was not meant for Africans. When in 1945, Saudi Arabia – King Saud met FDR on board a US ship in the Suez Canal, Saudi did not have any native with college education. But King Saud was confident and often acting on sheer impulse and baffle, was able to commit FDR to an agreement that saw the creation of ARAMCO, the organization credited for developing Saudi Arabia. Ethiopia was accorded the same audience. Today, compare Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. Equal opportunity as in education and audience, does not always amount to equal outcome.

Africa’s leadership both by design and default, has enjoyed the same amount of access, but if the outcome is less than, it may not be because similar resources were not offered. It is because Africans, often given to dancing to the music in their head, never pay attention to what matters. 

In one Commonwealth of Nations summit in Accra, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore first prime minister, lamented on how African government officials were busy spending public funds, staying in expensive hotels and  flying First Class. He called his delegation to a corner and told them point blank that this type of wanton and reckless spending should never happen in Singapore. He prevailed while Africans on the other hand, put a face of saying no to the former colonial masters, but secretly indulged in lifestyle and conducts that tripled what the colonial masters did. Then Nigeria Finance Minister, book keeper turned Finance Minister, was known to spray money and have ‘agbada’ sewn with pound notes. His wanton disregard for probity of public resources is yet to be matched by any Nigeria public official. He invariably sowed the seed that public money can be used as petty cash operation and one will be hailed doing so. Consider the Central African Republic Emperor Bokassa’s coronation in the 1970s that saw water and napkins imported from France, while natives were walking around naked and hapless.

No one is holding Africa down but Africans. They may parade PhDs, and other degrees but when it comes to standing up for the interests of their nation, they have second thoughts. Back in the late 60s and 70s, many African heads of state saw it a badge of honor to be married to foreign ladies; French, English, Russian, among others, some who were allegedly spies (according to many declassified papers) and undermined the fledgling nations. One can easily conjure the reason why John Kerry and Bill Bradley never made it to US presidency. Their spouses are foreign born. John Kerry’s wife, is a Mozambique-Portguese-African and Bill Bradley – German. Former US Senator Texas Phil Graham’s wife is Asian. There are many unwritten rules in rising to the highest office of any nation’s land. Those unwritten rules often carry weight.  The present Senegalese First Family, is the first time in the history of the western African nation that both are native Senegalese. 

Despite the challenges faced by minorities in US in business development, the US still remains the best opportunity nation for minority firms to grow given government programs and policies on procurement. Therefore, we should seek how to enhance the franchise deploying all tools of the trade, create well-funded and managed advocacy groups. 

Finally, when African-Americans leave congress, how many of them develop good lobbying firms to help African nations gain access on Beltway Circle of Influence? Hardly anyone of substance. When one reviews all the major lobbying firms for developing nations that want Washington access, hardly is one African-American. Well, Vernon Jordan may be an exception, but he was more about hanging out with Clinton, than taking it upon himself to make one African nation a success using his unlimited access. There is more show than substance. This is my juice, what taste you make of it, is entirely yours.

By Ejike Okpa II
Dallas, Texas.