NAN-H-27
Under-development
By Aderonke Ojediran-Lawal
Beijing, April 18, 2017 (NAN) Zhang Yong-peng, a Professor of International Politics at the Institute of West Asia and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said on Tuesday in Beijing, China that Africa’s dependence on aid will continue to under-develop the continent.
Zhang told a delegation of visiting Nigerian journalists in Beijing that instead of relying on aid, Africa should focus on long-term goals.
He said that majority of African nations did not need foreign aid, provided that there were proper infrastructure, energy and human resources.
“To a large extent, aid is killing Africa, as a continent; it is necessary that you diversify, but with so much dependence on aid, diversification will almost be impossible.
“What Africa needs are trade and invest, infrastructure, energy and importantly, human resources.
“One of the problems in Africa is that the leaders mostly do not have a business plan that will benefit all and sundry; they prefer to channel infrastructure to their home towns,” he said.
Zhang, however, called on African leaders to wake up to their responsibilities, in order to develop their countries.
“China is a Third World country as most of the African nations are, but our past leaders understood what we needed to do as a nation to develop and they did what they had to do.
“Each country within the African continent has needs that are peculiar to their countries, for instance in Nigeria, there is need for constant electricity.
“We all know that when there is constant energy supply, trade and investment will follow, same goes for infrastructure, but all these are hinged on a leader that has great ideology,’’ Zhang added. (NAN)
OAF/ERO/PIO
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Idonije Obakhedo)