fwd - Toward Africa 2.0 - Harvard Business Review. April 4, 2011
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13 AM Monday April 4, 2011
by Ndubuisi Ekekwe | Comments (8)
A new dawn is coming to Africa. After decades of aid being the way the U.S. invested in the continent, a new approach seems to be emerging. In the coming weeks, the Africa Investment and Diaspora Act (AIDA), introduced by Congressman Bobby L. Rush, will be presented to Congress. The bill hopes "to advance the mutual interests of the United States and Africa with respect to the promotion of trade and investment and the advancement of socioeconomic development and opportunity." It will link members of the African diaspora to opportunities in their native continent and position them to contribute to economic progress in the U.S.
The U.S. does better for Africa when it supports talented Africans and offers scholarships to educate them in its elite universities. It has gotten better value for its taxpayers' money through this organic investment than via most alternatives. The African diaspora has played key roles in the development of the continent. From Nigeria's Azikiwe to Ghana's Nkrumah, the U.S. has educated some of Africa's great legends.
The education has helped, but the aid model has not worked well. (more http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/04/towards_africa_20.html )