Post-coronavirus African Development Doctrine 2021

Ayo Akinfe

[1] As from 2022 inwards, every African nation is compelled to produce an least half of what they consume

[2] If any African nation fails to produce 50% of all its needs, the African Union should be empowered to merge it with one of its neighbours

[3] Historically, Europe has taken over the running of sick countries under League of Nations, European Union and United Nations mandates. As from 2022, the African Union will do likewise. For instance, Cameroon was taken over from Germany by the League of Nations at the start of World War One

[4] Paddy Ashdown, the late leader of the British Liberal Democrats was once put in charge of running Bosnia. When we look at some African countries like Burundi and Malawi with GDPs of about $3bn and $7bn for 10m and 18m people respectively, we have to ask whether they are really viable as nation states. Our African Union should regularly assess its members this way

[5] Why Malawi, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania are not one country just beggars belief.. Just imagine what Paul Kagame would do running such a regional giant. We have to move towards this kind of consolidation

[6] During his last visit to Nigeria, President Kagame told President Buhari we need to go beyond fighting corruption to generating wealth. What we need is for the African Union to set itself production targets like say, by 2030, we want to be manufacturing:
(i) 30% of the world’s automobiles
(ii) 50% of the world’s washing machines
(iii) 60% of the world’s laptops
(iv) 70% of the world’s mobile phone

[7] It must be a criminal offence similar to human trafficking to export wildlife out of Africa. If anyone loves our animals so much, they should come and see them in their natural habitat

[8] As things stand, Africa only accounts for about 3% of world trade and that is almost entirely down to the export of primary commodities like crops, solid minerals and fossil fuels. We need the African Union to make it illegal to export anything outside our continent unless at least 50% value is added

[9] As a continent, we also need stringent importation laws. If anyone wants to supply us with anything, like say railway carriages, automobiles, etc, they should set up a local factory as a precondition for signing any contract

[10] It must be a criminal offence on a par with drug trafficking to export anything out of Africa without adding at least 50% value to it. By the same token if must be a criminal offence to import anything that can be manufactured locally.