IT is not my objective to prolong the discussion on the globalization and Africans versus the West. Nonetheless, I feel that it is necessary to bring this point home: It is the Africans responsibility to push their course and get where they want to go. That process must start by the definition of a desired destiny, followed by a strategy to get there.
If the West becomes a hurdle along the way, so what? Who said the success comes easily? I honestly think that most Africans are living in this cozy Utopian land, where success is handed like peanuts. I can tell you that there are plenty of Africans succeeding in the United States, while there are plenty of African-Americans living in public housing.
At the core of it, it is a matter of perspective and attitude.
It appears that most Africans are still hung on blaming the West for everything or the majority of our issues. I will change my stance if some can come up with the proof that internally, Africans are doing the best to succeed, except that G-8 is standing on the way. I would like someone to give me a “blame scale”, for instance, 60% goes to the West and 40% goes to Africans themselves, etc. Until that happens, I will blame “us” for not getting where we want to go. Honestly, I don’t think we want it bad enough.
Did I say that we need strategies to get where we want to go? Yes I did. Just to prove what I was talking about, here is an excerpt of the speech given by the Tanzanian Minister for Planning and Economic Empowerment, Hon. Dr. Juma Alifa Ngasongwa to the Parliament on June 14, 2007 (I am providing the English translation as the speech was in Swahili):
“…Our challenge is to increase exports and to motivate production at quality that meets the world market demands”
“…The government will push for the execution of the Export Development Strategy to increase the quantity and quality of goods exported, add value to our products by processing good before export, invest in production of new products for export, and to fully utilize all opportunities afforded to export our products such as through the AGOA and EBA programs and other opportunities in Canada, Japan, China and Korea, and looking for new markets for our products”
You can read the entire report here.
Need I add more on that in relationship to he discussion we have had about the developed world ability to penetrate the Western market? I think Mr. Ngasongwa just backed up my arguments.
If the West becomes a hurdle along the way, so what? Who said the success comes easily? I honestly think that most Africans are living in this cozy Utopian land, where success is handed like peanuts. I can tell you that there are plenty of Africans succeeding in the United States, while there are plenty of African-Americans living in public housing.
At the core of it, it is a matter of perspective and attitude.
It appears that most Africans are still hung on blaming the West for everything or the majority of our issues. I will change my stance if some can come up with the proof that internally, Africans are doing the best to succeed, except that G-8 is standing on the way. I would like someone to give me a “blame scale”, for instance, 60% goes to the West and 40% goes to Africans themselves, etc. Until that happens, I will blame “us” for not getting where we want to go. Honestly, I don’t think we want it bad enough.
Did I say that we need strategies to get where we want to go? Yes I did. Just to prove what I was talking about, here is an excerpt of the speech given by the Tanzanian Minister for Planning and Economic Empowerment, Hon. Dr. Juma Alifa Ngasongwa to the Parliament on June 14, 2007 (I am providing the English translation as the speech was in Swahili):
“…Our challenge is to increase exports and to motivate production at quality that meets the world market demands”
“…The government will push for the execution of the Export Development Strategy to increase the quantity and quality of goods exported, add value to our products by processing good before export, invest in production of new products for export, and to fully utilize all opportunities afforded to export our products such as through the AGOA and EBA programs and other opportunities in Canada, Japan, China and Korea, and looking for new markets for our products”
You can read the entire report here.
Need I add more on that in relationship to he discussion we have had about the developed world ability to penetrate the Western market? I think Mr. Ngasongwa just backed up my arguments.
Folks, it is the responsibility of African countries (including Tanzania) to draw strategies that would enable those countries to enter, satisfy, and capture international markets. So for all my friends who think that G-8 is putting a lid on our attempt to enter the Western market, think again. The ball is on our courts to meet the market standards.
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Update: June 22, 2007
Just read the article below to see how the failure of Tanzanian businessmen to penetrate foreign markets is mainly attributed to their lack of business skills. This came from Daily News
1 comment:
Right on bros... preach brother...preach
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