Joyce Sarpong
The first couple of weeks of July is typically busy with lots of business events before the start of the holiday season and this month has certainly been no different.
Last week Monday, 13th July, I had the privileged of participating in the BBC's Africa Debate. The debate took place at the magnificent British Museum on a warm mid-summer’s night in London (the financial capital of the world) as the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa (a city full of symbolic importance for all of Africa) hosted world leaders for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development. This summit was presented as being crucial for the UN's efforts to end global poverty and manage climate change with its 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals - due to be formally adopted in New York in October.
The central question raised during the debate was: "Has Africa Outgrown Development Aid." Let’s face it, it’s easier to settle for the status quo than to face the ‘what ifs’ that accompany progress wouldn't you agree?
In this article, I will give you the backdrop to the debate, summarise its key points and conclude with my thoughts and insights.
Ten years ago, a UK-government commission for Africa launched at the British Museum that coincided with the global movement to Make Poverty History in Africa. The commission encouraged partnership between Africa and the developed world rather than a relationship of dependency.
Monday’s debate was chaired by BBC presenter, Zainab Badawi and the panel consisted of:
Andrew Mitchell - Secretary of State for International Development, 2010-12;
Tutu Agyare - Managing Partner of Nubuke Investments;
Giles Bolton - author of "Aid and other dirty business"
At the start of the debate, we were reminded that a couple of months ago, President Kenyatta said Africa must start looking internally for solutions to its various challenges rather than continued dependency on other world economies including economic dependency.
"The future of our continent cannot be left to the good graces of outside interests. Dependency on giving that only appears to be charitable must end. Foreign aid, which so often carries terms and conditions that preclude progress is not an acceptable basis for prosperity and freedom. It is time to give it up," said the President.
The debate kicked off with the question: Is this rhetoric or has Africa outgrown development aid?
Below is my summary of the debate that ensued:
- No, Africa hasn’t outgrown development aid per se. Aid has a role and we can see the difference it can make as is demonstrated by the aid money for HIV aids and education However, it has outgrown how aid is delivered. Currently, the way in which it’s delivered with its focus on the control by the donor organisations takes away from African countries a way to use aid for their own benefit and is more about accountability back to the people giving the money.
- Ghana was cited as a nation which has achieved middle income status and therefore reduced its eligibility for aid.
- Cultural dependency on development aid is killing our people. The Nairobi start-up scene is awash with development money and this is not sustainable.
- Focus should be on helping Africa to build the institutions required so that it isn’t reliant on development aid. Essentially, there should be a timeframe on aid with an exit strategy of the development community built in.
- As long as aid is the only source of financing, there will be an imbalance of power.
- The elephant in the room is tax evasion by multinational corporations which amounts to huge losses of revenue for the governments of African nations.
- In terms of alternatives for funding Africa’s development, the following were suggested: Africa has all the skills and resources it needs to develop the continent. What’s required to is for Africa to organise its resources and skills along with a strategic plan and implementation of the plan. Development aid used to be the main source of finance, now others sources such as remittances and investments form a significant portion and also domestic savings being organised as pension funds in countries like Kenya and Nigeria which can be put to use to build institutions and infrastructure. So the debate has shifted away from development aid to what the aid / funds is used for is defined by Africans themselves to develop their institutions and infrastructure. There is also the innovative way in which the aid is being used for development in private-public partnership. For example, M-Pesa, mobile-phone based money transfer and microfinancing service, launched in 2007 in a partnership between Vodafone for Safaricom and Vodacom, the largest mobile network operators in Kenya and Tanzania. M-Pesa was designed by Kenyans, funded by DFID and commercialised by Vodafone. Therefore development aid should be moving from one of donors and recipients to one of collaboration and partnership.
The debate concluded by saying that:
- Development aid should help African nations get a better deal from international finance by building better systems – such as ones for collect tax; curbing illicit financial flows between governments, international companies and the international audit profession and mispricing of exports - costing the continent about one trillion dollars over the last 50 years,according to a high-level panel chaired by former South African president Thabo Mbeki. More money, it turns out, flows out of Africa than into it.
- Development aid will be less important but more effective with a diminishing role and investment will have an increasing role. The western nations community should continue to give aid and pay taxes and African nations shouldn’t accept just anybody’s aid but make the conditions clear on how aid will be accepted and communicate this plan.
- Need to have a partnership whereby the donor partner (developed nations) work in partnership with the recipient partner.
- Africans in the diaspora should use their skills, talent and experience for the development of Africa.
So, how then: Who is responsible for Africa’s development? The saying goes that “charity begins at home” should be applicable to the context of Africa’s development meaning that ultimately Africa is responsibility for its own development.
This then begs the question: How should Africans approach the development of their own continent? In his pioneering book “Emerging Africa”, Kinsley Chiedu Moghalu suggests that the answer lies in 4 things: A worldview – a reflection / interpretation of the world by an individual / group and one’s place in it – and within that framework, values, strategy and organisation.
These four principals will need to be applied to the areas of fundamental importance to Africa, such as: governance, infrastructure, private sector development, education, science and technology. The development of Asian countries such as Malaysia & Singapore, provide good examples of countries with a clear vision with a worldview.
Therefore, I believe that Africa requires a set of enabling infrastructures to help it to sense, see its relevance globally and unlock deeper blockages that prevent profound institutional change. After which, Africa can play a different game in global affairs and take control of its own destiny by paying attention to the eco-system (rather than its “ego-system”) reviewing the place of development aid, foreign direct investment and remittances in its development and putting in place strong institutions to create an enabling environment for private sector-led growth. Only then can we see transformational change in Africa.
Joyce Sarpong
Founder and CEO of AfricaOracle
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6. African firms and private equity Climbing aboard the Africa train
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“Look around Africa, you’ll see that new millionaires are springing up everyday. It is good to create wealth, but along with wealth-creation must come a deep sense of responsibility. Africa’s rich need to collectively deploy their resources for the good of the people around them.”
~ Tsitsi Masiyiwa, Executive Chairperson at Higher Life Foundation & Philanthropist, read more..
DAY 21: If This Were Your Last Day, How Would You Spend It?
The Idea: Procrastination often creeps into our lives despite our best intentions. There are things we perpetually put off for tomorrow -- sometimes these are the things that we ultimately hold most dear. Today, on this final day of the Gratitude Challenge, take time to rearrange your priorities. Think about the many people, places, experiences and things that you have given gratitude for over the past three weeks. Your life is brimming with gifts for you to enjoy, to help others and share with the world. If today was your last day on this earth, think about how you would want to spend it. Carve out some time today to honour the things you are most grateful for. Perhaps by an act of generosity, or by spending time in meditation or prayer, or by doing something special with loved ones. For inspiration, read the following article about the fascinating story of Tsitsi Masiyiwa
For further inspiration, read about the former First Lady of Kwara State, Nigeria, and Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBF Africa), a pan-African maternal health and wellbeing charity, Toyin Saraki; singer-songwriter, UNICEF Goodwill ambassador and founder of the Batonga Foundation, Angelique Kidjo; & Finance, Fashion, FAMFA Oil and Philanthropist, Folorunsho Alakija
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our our website AfricaOracle.Com and by the end you'll have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
With gratitude,
Joyce Sarpong
Founder and CEO of AfricaOracle
The glory of sports comes from dedication, determination & desire. Achieving success and personal glory in athletics has less to do with wins and losses than it does with learning how to prepare yourself so that at the end of the day, whether on the track or in the office, you know that there was nothing more you could have done to reach your ultimate goal" ~ Jackie Joyner Kersee.
DAY 20: Which sport stars dazzle your world?
The Idea: Africa has its fair share of sporting superstars who have unfailingly dazzled us with their brilliant performances and successes over the years. Sports delights, informs and inspires us in profound ways to reach and fulfill our true potential. Today, take a moment to reflect on and write about a sportsperson and how they have motivated and inspired you. What do you appreciate most about their work? It doesn't have to be a well-known professional. To quote Arthur Ashe, "You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy."
For inspiration, click & read the following article about Ethiopian world record holder track and field athlete, Genzebe Dibaba
For further inspiration, click & read the following articles about double world sprint runner-up Murielle Ahoure
& an insight into all the best aspects of life as an elite athlete from Nigerian superstar Blessing Okagbare
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our our website AfricaOracle.Com and by the end you'll have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
With gratitude,
Joyce Sarpong
Founder and CEO of AfricaOracle
"It has been said that life has treated me harshly; and sometimes I have complained in my heart because many pleasures of human experience have been withheld from me... if much has been denied me, much very much has been given me..." ~ Helen Keller was an author, speaker, and advocate of people with disabilities.
DAY 19: What is the most cherished gift you have received?
The Idea: Africa is a vast continent comprising of diverse and distinct ethnic groups. With this diversity comes many things that unites us such as respect for our elders, our cuisine, honoring our mothers and sense of belonging & community. These are gifts that we inherit as Africans. As you look back on your life and reflect on the many gifts that you have received, what stands out to you as a gift that you will always cherish? Perhaps it is something you received as a child that left a deep impact on you, perhaps it is something that was passed on to you from an elder? Whatever your most cherished gift is, take a moment to think about what makes it so special to you.
For inspiration, click & read the following article about how the youth of the African Diaspora are cherishing their African heritage and want to contribute to the transformation in how the world perceives Africa. African Fashion
With regards to it's cuisine, Africa has distinctive ethnic treasures which must be cherished and celebrated. Tanzania has much beauty to boast of. However, less known is Tanzania’s distinctive cuisine. Click and read on the link to Miriam Rose Kinunda's book, A Taste of Tanzania
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our our website AfricaOracle.Com and by the end you'll have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
With gratitude,
Joyce Sarpong
Founder and CEO of AfricaOracle
"My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I'm grateful for it the way I'm grateful for the ocean." ~ Anne Lamott, author of seven novels, several best-selling nonfiction books, and her notable instructional writing guide, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.
DAY 18: What qualities about Africa are you most thankful for?
The Idea: The media's the most powerful entity on earth." Our entire ecosystem is driven by brands and Africa is no different. There is a strong correlation between media, social media users and interest in brands. Brand Africa" is a complex amalgamation of the qualities of the continent. Africans are both the "brand" and "brand builders" which implies that internal brand building is pivotal to the development of "brand Africa". Having an informed narrative on Africa and having stories written by Africans are critical elements to building a brand Africa and thereby contributing to the transformation of the image of Africa. So, let's take a moment to celebrate African women in media.
For inspiration, click & read the following articles to celebrate African women in media:
Talk show host, TV producer, media personality & entrepreneur, Mosunmola Abudu and
Social affairs and education editor at Sky News and a former Guardian correspondent Afua Hirsch,
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our our website AfricaOracle.Com and by the end you'll have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
With gratitude,
Joyce Sarpong
Founder and CEO of AfricaOracle
"Appreciation can make a day - even change a life. You willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary." ~ Margaret Cousins, a suffragist who established the All India Women's Conference in 1927.
DAY 17: What Made You Smile Today?
The Idea: As we walk through our daily lives, reasons to smile follow us around like a cloud of bright butterflies. Often we are too busy or preoccupied to notice them. But today, make a conscious effort to tune into the little moments of joy, beauty and goodness that surround you. Make time to smile, breathe and give gratitude for all the serendipitous gifts that have found you. Let your gaze dwell on the children playing on the swings, or the steam rising up off of your coffee, let your ears hear the laughter of co-workers and the song of the birds, let your feet feel the steady support of the earth -- may we truly live and rejoice in each moment of this day.
For inspiration, click & read the following feature on the work of Mozambican designer, Taibo Bacar
For further inspiration, read the following articles to celebrate these amazing African women who have brought joy to others: Successful model & entrepreneurIman & songwriter & vocalist Sade Adu
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our our website AfricaOracle.Com and by the end you'll have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
With gratitude,
Joyce Sarpong
Founder and CEO of AfricaOracle