Seeking a more fruitful partnership with Africa.

• Todays Africa : Under-developed at the time of independence, modern-day Africa has progressed.
• International Aid : It was never completely altruistic but now the business of ‘aid’ has become the ‘Aid Business’.
• Community Economic Development : Africans don’t want ‘Aid’. They may need it but ‘needing’ is not the same as ‘wanting’. What they want most of all is a regular form of income.
• UK International Aid : People living in London are probably the least likely to make good decisions about Africa.

New Horizons Africa

Under-developed at the time of independence, modern-day Africa has progressed. That progress has been made more difficult by the problems left by colonial rule. Made even more difficult by the selfish interventions of foreign countries, super-powers, multi-national companies and rich individuals.

Despite all this Africa has progressed. And will develop and progress much further and much sooner than most people realise.

Africa's 54 nations are a quarter of the world's countries and will play an important part in global organisations that shape all our futures. Africans will soon provide 20% of the world's workforce. Labour rates for skilled workers in Africa have been recorded asequal to about 30% of the equivalent in SE Asia. UK consumers will need to get used to seeing the 'made in Africa' stamp.

These changes create different opportunities for the UK

New Horizons for UK in Africa

The massive emerging consumer market that will emerge in Africa represents real growth opportunities for UK businesses. Post-brexit UK businesses need this. To stay competitive many will need to seek out manufacturing partners in Africa. To increase sales of their products they will need a variety of partners.

A new relationship with Africa The UK should move on from ‘boss-centric’ that has characterised past dealings and recognise the need for a more ‘mutually beneficial' partnership.

A new relationship with the African Union (AU) The African Union has progressed. Its time to give it more of a leadership role in the way International Aid

Africa is vast. It has many different regions. Those of us who travel with our eyes open will easily see reasons why this community or that has been deprived of any chance of local economic development.

Sometimes its a town such as one in northern Ethiopia. Too close to ‘closed’ international borders to enjoy cross-border trade. Too far away from the country’s capital city to make it viable for a businessman to want to build his factory in that town. It would mean he has to pay two lots of transport costs. Taking raw materials all the way up the country and then taking finished products all the way back again.

For some time to come there will be regions where sizeable communities don't get the chance to develop without a significant and sustained involvement way beyond a community's ability to provide. Aid donor countries do have the resources to help bring about a big step in local economic development.

The key as always is to make sure that any outside aid is used to provide a long-term legacy whereby the local community can be expected to manage their own economic development once the outside aid has ended.

Sometimes its a much more than a single town. 16 of Africa’s countries are ‘land-locked’. This makes their economies vulnerable to events and economic fluctuations in neighbouring countries. Research shows this.

Some of these countries have borders with large inland lakes which are bordered by other African countries. Lake Nyasa is bordered by Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. Lake Tanganyika is bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo. These lakes ought to be a hub for cross-border trade. And the prospect of ‘good business’ would surely attract more factories, more businesses…and more of the type of jobs which provide a regular wage.

Bringing this about is surely something aid donor countries have the resources to help make happen.

But strategies like this have a better chance of succeeding if the African Union is given a leadership role. And the means to discipline individual countries to keep to the plan.

Making UK International Aid more effective

There are many ways we do this. And really good reasons why we should try to do it.

People living in London are probably the least likely to make good decisions about Africa.In UK today only about 2% of our people are said to earn their living from the land. By definition in any under-developed countries most people are in some way or another connected to the land. We in London look at Africa through one end of the telescope whilst most ordinary Africans see things through the other end. We should be asking genuine questions about the people who make decisions on UK International Aid. And whether we prepare them properly.

Records show that UK ministers stay in their position for a very short time. For many they ‘move on’ before they have had any real chance to master their role.

The absorption of DfiD into FCO leading to the creation of FCDO was coloured by politicians pressing the case for one ism against another. Should it be Overseas Development Aid (ODA) or should it be Overseas Development Finance (ODF)? Much of the ‘debate’ was simply one political group bullying others to accept that the priority was for UK to get more back from the Aid UK provides.

Anyone who examines the case for UK providing Aid to Africa might reasonably conclude that the long-term value of selling goods and services to Africa would be enhanced by helping Africa today. And that the type of relationship we develop with African leaders will heavily influence their future choices. We ought to be using UK International Aid to help UK become a ‘preferred partner’ rather than look for an immediate return.

Africa and the UK would benefit if the UK undertook a holistic review of UK’s International Aid. Our overall approach is flawed.

People living in London are probably the least likely to make good decisions about Africa. In UK today only about 2% of our people are said to earn their living from the land. By definition in any under-developed countries most people are in some way or another connected to the land. We in London look at Africa through one end of the telescope whilst most ordinary Africans see things through the other end. We should be asking genuine questions about the people who make decisions on UK International Aid. And whether we prepare them properly.

Records show that UK ministers stay in their position for a very short time. For many they ‘move on’ before they have had any real chance to master their role. All too often they are jerked around as they are bullied by one political interest group or another. Each devotees of this 'ism' or that. Each political group trading on 'African' stereotypes to win public support.

Not surprisingly the UK Aid operation has become little more than a budget-dispensing institution. It fails to provide the sort of leadership that is needed.

A more visionary leadership could enhance UK standing in the global aid sector.

It could also swell the country’s formal aid budget by drawing in significant amounts of money (probably in the billions) that currently flows in what is termed ‘informal aid’ but which research shows creates little lasting benefit.

A more visionary leadership could also do a valuable job for our own society.

DfiD or FCDO, it makes no difference, they fail to make International Aid relevant to the ordinary citizen.

Racism is an increasing concern in our society. Making International Aid more relevant to the ordinary citizen might be expected to counter some of the arguments against UK providing International Aid. Genuine efforts to ‘twin’ our communities with African communities could do much more.

The UK is rich in the number and variety of ethnic minorities that have settled here. Leadership which resourced more of this to build ‘profitable’ partnerships with African businesses might allow these minority groups to be seen in a more positive light

New Horizons for Africa