Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: How to help Africa? Do business there

I just finished watching a speech by the former Nigerian Finance Minister, the Honorable Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She was talking about the positive government reform initiatives taking place even as negative images of Africa dominate the news: famine and disease, conflict and corruption. The speech was great in its appeal to investors to come to Africa and invest their money in industries such as the telecommunications. I know Nigeria does present a great opportunity that people like Strive Masiyiwa, a Zimbabwean founder of Econet Wireless, have taken advantage of. That said, I always wonder why we only hear of these so called African positive changes aimed at foreigners in conferences. Is it because even Africans themselves have a negative image of their homeland. Why don't African governments ever embrace their citizens scattered abroad to come and invest back home? Is it because they are afraid that these people know that the progress politicians talk about is meant for conferences and not for reality TV? I will not mention names, but I know that many governments see their diaspora as enemies of the state. But unless and until governments think about creating conditions for their citizens to thrive in all spheres of life, then the positivity will always be fodder to be enjoyed at conferences where people are looking to be inspired.

I am not saying there is no progress at all in Africa, but Good God, can't we do better than this? Can't we do better than to rush out to the West to celebrate what we were supposed to do in the first place? Yes, we are supposed to arrest thieves, reduce inflation, return the people's money, and promote a sustainable social, political, and economic environment. But for some reason, many of our governments suffer from an identity crisis. They do not know what they should be-- whether to be defenders of Western interests who are happy to get the crumbs from the West or to simply be Africans. It is fact, not fiction that foreigners in any African country are more likely to get business licenses way faster than locals. Foreigners are more likely to be successful, not because they are better, but because they often have a bigger pot from which to invest and bribe at the same time. Foreigners are always well equiped with extra muscles in the form of African governments and their foreign governments to support them in the event that somebody plays funny tricks. They will bring in a little bag of capital and guns to safeguard their money and squeeze out resources in host countries. On their corner, they have foreign ambassadors who are quick to publicly rebuke African Presidents to safeguard the interests of their citizens, even if Africans can never dream of dreaming about doing the same in the West. When was the last time you heard an African ambassador reprimanding George Bush for his actions that affect our interests? But, when African citizens go on strike to demand better governance, you better believe that government bullets and tear gas cans are the answers they get. So in the end, all we Africans ever bring is capital and hope. And when governments take away this capital and trample the hope, many people become discouraged. Instead, they invest in foreign lands where even thieves are willing to stash their loot.

For Africa to prosper, we first need a brain wash to rid us of the inferiority complex. Then we need to have a sense of self-value and embrace local solutions for local problems. It is only then that bread produced by a local bakery will be bought instead of foreign brands. It is only then that many people will not expect African business people to conduct their affairs on the buddy buddy system in which they cut some slack because we are brothers. I know governments who do not pay their local debts and yet they expect business people to succeed. How? That has done nothing to advance any community.

If governments embraced their mission to create an equal playing field for everyone and invest their energy in ensuring that the environment is conducive for business, then money will not be a problem. And if truth be told, there is enough money out there among honest Africans, thieves, crooks, and politicians both at home and in the diaspora to boost up economies. There are many African business men and women who are dying at the opportunity to invest money at home for good returns. What is missing, is a conducive environment to enable people's ideas to thrive. It always pains me to see press conferences of governments celebrating a mere $50 million dollar investment from foreigners because I know that there are Africans out there who can produce more money than that, if there were conducive environments.

So, instead of statistics of progress and all this rhetoric of African solutions for African problems when African solutions are disregarded by Africans themselves, we need to have a bedroom conversation amongst ourselves. Forget the conferences. Let us sit down and ask ourselves why we prefer foreign capital to local capital. Is it because government officials know that the West can throw some crumbs their way in thanks for securing those contracts? Is it because we have such a huge psychological inferiority complex that allows us to disregard even the most qualified of our own people? A complex that will have us sacrifice our own people in defending our resources that are in the hands of foreigners? A complex from which people think foreign is better than local? Well, let me tell you this: Local is lekker.

Personally, I am tired of the song " we shall overcome someday." Give me a time table of the real changes we need to see from governments. Business is business, and governments must embrace that paradigm and provide a conducive environment.Even birds prepare their nests before they can lay eggs. And for governments to think that economic development and prosperity is simply just going to hatch from rhetoric is insane. Palm trees do not produce apples, and neither will conditions that stifle local innovation and contributions produce economic progress. So, let governments produce what they are supposed to produce- and people will follow suit.

But, one thing I know for certain is that the sun will rise and shine tomorrow. And I have a dream. I have a dream, that one day African crooks, thieves, and honest men and women will have the confidence to put their money in Africa. It behooves any and every African, even thieves and crooks, to work for that which will perpetuate his or her village, community, nation, and people.