The China Africa summit in which China has offloaded $10 billion to Africa in concessional loans (double the amount unveiled at the Beijing summit in 2006) has drawn sharp criticism from the West. While the West on one hand accuse China of human rights violations and plunder of Africa’s resources, Chinese Africa expert, Xu Weizhong  retorts  that the West should not view Africa as their backyard.

It is true that the West has viewed Africa as its backyard; manipulated Africa’s leadership; prescribed crippling economic programs; plundered the continent’s resources and oriented Africa to the Western worldview.

However, despite China's stand that it is Africa’s “true and trusted friend,” Africa ought to realize that both the West and China are pursuing their own interests. Approaching Africa on the aid platform (which has not changed the continent’s lot in the past 50 years) is to perpetuate the status quo and further make Africa walk on the road to serfdom.

Rather than adorn the demeaning ‘most aided continent’ title, Africa must set up a blueprint of its interests; invest in drawing lessons from its past history; urgently develop and reform its education sector to promote knowledge and skill driven economy; invest in its people and facilitate an environment that will enable each one exploit resources for Africans' benefit.