Hello Africa!!

It’s another rainy morning on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, a second consecutive day of heavy downpour that has washed the streets clean or rather brought out the muck and slime from several of the state’s blocked drains. I rubbed my weary eyes letting out a huge yawn I wonder if the streets of Accra, Lome Johannesburg, Harare and Hokkaido are experiencing this cold and wet morning. Yes, Hokkaido, Japan where the G8 summit is currently taking place. Last weekend, seven African leaders were representatives of the continent before the privileged eight to present Africa’s case on why it should be considered a serious partner in the new frontier for world development. Former president of the United States, Bill Clinton’s controversial remarks almost a decade earlier sparked strong reactions when he said the G8 had posed the wrong question when it asked what can be done for Africa rather what can be done with Africa. He had questioned the rationale behind continuing aid and grants to the continent when project implementation rates continued to dip. A question of semantics some critics had argued, but not so when several of Africa’s poor countries were beneficiaries of a successful Tony Blair led campaign to ensure a hundred percent debt cancellation. A momentous applause greeted that seemingly act of goodwill, but that was three years ago. It is indeed doubtful if those rescued African nations are faring better even with a reduced and sustainable debt profile. The problems confronting the African continent definitely surpass a recipe of semantic and free will offerings served either hot or cold by the G8. In the coming weeks, finding out how sincere the G8 is in pursuing its goal of achieving a sustainable, cleaner and better environment for mankind will be in focus and on the other hand the African continent will be watching and wondering if these issues-reduction of green house gases, sustainable use of energy and non-renewable resources would be tackled in the same manner  the G8 had failed to meet its promises of increased aid development packages for the African continent

 

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