News
What About The Poor in Africa?
By Djifa Kothor
Much has been said about the rising economic prosperity of Africa. In fact, it’s been widely reported that on average, the continent has grown 5 percent annually for the last couple of years. In addition, the World Bank has estimated the growth rate will reach 7 percent per annum by 2016. But surveys of the average men and women, around the continent, do not mimic the economic optimism of African government officials, intellectuals, businesses and the international financial institutions (IFI).
Governments in Africa have prescribed to the idea that when businesses do well, so will the poor. It is a theory that has often ignored the poor from the debate on economic development, which explains why even though many countries on the continent are experiencing rapid economic growth, the number of poor Africans is increasing rather than decreasing; so much so that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde recently noted, the continent’s increasing inequality is an impediment to its future growth.
The West, on the other hand, still depicts Africa as a continent of endemic poverty. This perception has angered and continues to frustrate many African intellectuals on the continent and in the Diaspora. The philosophy around the recent improvement in the region’s economies has been embraced and applauded by these intellectuals because of its contrast to the common perception of the continent as always in need of foreign aid due to extreme poverty.
As a result, stories depicting the socio-economic challenges of the rank and file Africans around the continent are viewed as “bad news” and an embarrassment by African governments. On the other hand, stories depicting the growth of the African middle class and the success of businesses are now the norm and any opposing view is seen as an attack on the continent’s economic progress and considered anti-African.
However, the fact is 413 million Africans are surviving on US$1.25 per day. Many lack access to safe drinking water, electricity and clean cooking facilities.
Gross domestic product (GDP) rebasing, increased trade and investments does not alleviate the circumstances of the poor. Improving African governments’ borrowing power does not translate to economic growth. While the success stories of African millionaires and billionaires are impressive, as they propagate the continent’s great entrepreneurial minds, this should not be the basis upon which the continent’s economic growth is measured.
How many Africans, have access to clean drinking water, affordable electricity, hospitals, and schools should be the benchmarks used to measure Africa’s economic success. It should not be viewed as anti-African; but, in fact the opposite.
