By: The Editor-in-Chief
As a Pan-Africanist media, we take pride in listening to African economic discourses. We remain extra-particular with those exchanges involving our leaders that have demonstrated transformational leadership. Early this week, we were all ears to the economic discourse between Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema.
The two leaders discussed challenges facing their countries including the need to harness tourism and signed seven more Memorandums of Understanding –MoU-, which all centred on bolstering economic cooperation between two countries. This exchange is a cause for joy to us based on our admiration for both leaders. They both have a background clinical resource and people management.
For Kagame, he stands out for building a new version of Rwanda, a fast growing tourist-friendly country after 1994 infamous genocide. He has proven beyond reasonable doubt that with the right leadership and sober political will, Africa is capable of building its economies, self-governance and realizing its potential. On the other hand, Hichilema, eight months in office, has demonstrated exemplary leadership; restoring the rule of law and recovering looted public resources while struggling to rebuild a debt-burdened economy.
We were most proud to hear Kagame and Hichilema discussing Intra-African Trade at length when the whole continent is grappling with Russia-Ukraine war ripple effects. Intra-African Trade is something our leaders should consider putting in action. Africa has the potential to alleviate its poverty and widespread youth unemployment without any external intervention.
Africans should begin to look within themselves for solutions to their problems. There is no American or European solution to our economic problems as every nation and continent priorities itself when making plans. Let us decolonize our minds and start cutting trade deals among ourselves before looking for outsiders. There is no greater favour we can ever do ourselves than working together as Africans, doing business among ourselves and finding ways of becoming an exporting continent.
