Once upon a time, emaciated children,
conflict, military coups, poverty and disease dominated the media image of
Africa. Rapid GDP growth, expansion of infrastructure, bulging consumer class
and a vault of opportunity for investors are the new accentuations in Africa’s
meteoric makeover.
Africa has metamorphosed from a “scar on the
conscience of the world”, in Tony Blair’s words, to a great vault of
opportunity. This is Africa Rising.
However, there has been very little critical reflection, especially among
African scholars, on the Africa Rising
saga. Similarly, in the desolate days of hopeless continent narrative, African
scholars offered very little intellectual reflection.
Historically, Africa has been spectacularly
at ease with outsiders defining and framing its problems and destiny. For
example, there is a pervasive belief that in the 21st century, an
Asian style Green Revolution might solve Africa’s chronic low farm
productivity. Moreover, Africa is awash with development NGOs who believe that
small, isolated short-term projects could make a dent on household poverty and
put whole communities on a solid path of durable socio-economic transformation.
Africa
Rising is inextricably
linked to the sudden appearance of emerging economies, especially China, whose
histrionic eruption of belated industrialization has fuelled an unprecedented
surge in global demand for commodities. China’s appetite for Africa’s raw
materials, as well as the dramatic surge of foreign direct investment in Africa
has had the singular effect of orchestrating a new scramble for Africa among
developed countries and corporate leaders. Essentially, China’s engagement with
Africa affirms that the continent is a new and viable opportunity for global
capital to invest and reap.
Africa
Rising is a shameful
reproduction of the old, problematic order; Africa’s lop-sided reliance on
exporting raw commodities and importing manufactured products. This is the
extraordinary tragedy of Africa Rising.
And just like in the past, Africa’s political and business elite has a solemn
obligation to preside over the production of a surplus to be appropriated
voracious global capital.
Africa
Rising is really about GDP
growth that is overwhelmingly buoyed by expansionary fiscal policies, commodity
booms, flow of foreign capital, and massive aid flows in the case of Ethiopia,
Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Moreover, while Africa’s GDP growth at 4.5 percent
is impressive at face value, it is too feeble to produce durable and inclusive
growth. The continent needs to grow at 7 percent for the next 20 to 30 years to
register meaningful wellbeing improvements.
Alongside with the Africa Rising narrative, there has been a mistaken belief that
China and the emergence of BRICS would somehow challenge free market ideology,
and hopefully usher the redistribution of economic power. On the contrary,
China is instituting neoliberal economic policies to re-balance its economy and
stimulate domestic rather than export driven growth. I think the entry of the
BRICS merely serves to diversify dependency.
Africa
Rising has not been
accompanied with requisite structural transformation, which I characterize as
an expansion of industrial activity, diversification and value addition of
export products, and shift of labor from low productivity to high productivity
sectors. Moreover, the dominance of cheap manufactured imports from places like
China and India will entrench Africa on an irredeemable path of
de-industrialization. But there is no doubt that the exuberant eruption of
China has given Africa’s political elite some space for manoeuvre.
For example, Kenya has advanced a Look East
policy as an attempt to cultivate deep economic and strategic relations with
China and checkmate the West. Let me
make this very clear. Africa must be very clear-eyed when dealing with China.
China and the so-called BRICS, just like everybody else are self-interested and
exploitative. Our engagement with the West and China is within the old logic of
division of labor, production or supply of primary commodities and import of
cheap manufactured products.
Africa’s progress must not be measured by rising
GDP growth or exports or higher level GDP per capita owing to expansionary
fiscal policies. Africa’s progress must not be fuelled by a whimsical mood
swing by outside pundits. Africa’s progress must be built, brick by brick, by
raising industrial output, sophisticated exports, and deployment of Africa’s
huge reservoir of young people in high labor productivity sectors, away from
street vending, operating motorcycle taxis and manual farm labor.
Given the scale of development changes the
continent faces, the Africa Rising
narrative is an appeasement that serves the interests of the global political
economy and Africa’s extractive political elite.
I think ,we know this already and the way forward is for us "Kenyans" and really Africans to start having industries that will ensure proper use of resources. . We can start by having this companies that we buy manufactured good from in the country to teach us on how to make them. how hard can it be to make industries like this ? we can start small and make gradual progress.
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