Africa must look beyond aid to era of partnership

A former British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has stated that Africa needs to look beyond aid to an era of partnership and collaboration. He said since the continent’s future was in the hands of her leaders and people

, the continent faced a historic opportunity to make the kind of economic leap forward that Asian countries had made over the last 30 years.

Focus

At a meeting with stakeholders at the Institute of Economic Affairs in Accra- Ghana last Tuesday, Mr Blair said the focus now was on trade, agriculture, infrastructure and job creation, while of course recognising the ongoing scourge of conflict and radical extremism that hindered development. 

He stressed that the challenges of migration were distorting politics in the west and added that; “As the West is at risk of turning inwards, there is an opportunity for Africa to step outwards to project a confident vision of itself and its journey.”

He mentioned the way technology was transforming not just the provision of banking and personal finance but also low-cost education and health care such as the provision of medicines through drones.

He also spoke about the opportunity to develop new value chains and new industries such as the rapid expansion in light manufacturing, as well as in agri-business and processing in Ethiopia.

Mr Blair further talked about the way a number of countries were at the forefront of the global agenda on rural electrification and the development of low cost, renewable energy supplies, “on which we are working through USAID’s PowerAfrica.”

“It is clear to me that for Africa to succeed in this journey, Ghana must succeed too. The country is at a unique moment. I’ve been here this week to discuss the work of my institute with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I sense a country and a President filled with optimism and determination and who is also clear-sighted about the challenges ahead,” he emphasised .

The former British Prime Minister said Chancellor Merkel would host the G20 in July and was looking to develop a new partnership for Africa.

The world has moved on considerably – with Africa within it – since I hosted the G8 in Gleneagles in 2005, building on the work of the Commission for Africa, at which we reached historic agreements on debt cancellation,” he said.

Collaboration

Mr Blair said the collaboration between the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change had, over the last 27 years, played a valuable role in promoting democratic values and political stability in Ghana – critical pre-conditions for sustainable development. 

During a visit to Ghana, he said it was effective governance, above all, that needed strengthening, “whether it is establishing the principles of the rule of law, delivering services in health or education or setting the rules for investment that leads to jobs and good infrastructure.”        

Priorities

According to Mr Blair,  President Akufo-Addo had set clear priorities on education (free secondary school education), on agriculture (“Planting for food and jobs” – a national campaign), on industrialisation (“one district, one factory”) and on the wider economy and the need to build the public finances, and at the heart of all of that was the challenge of effective governance.

He added that Ghana had once again shown itself to be at the forefront of democracy across Africa with its recent election and peaceful transition of power.

“Last year’s election and the 60th anniversary of independence this year are further milestones in the development of a great nation,” he stated.             

He acknowledged that the challenges of coming in as a leader after years in opposition (though Labour had been out for longer than the eight years since the NPP was last in office) included high expectations, sometimes unrealistically so, “and it takes time to get to grips with the system. Leaders all over the world grapple with this gap between the expectations of the people and the capacity to deliver.”