Not Questioning Development

It is amazing how we do not question things in Africa – how truly routinized things have become. But why is this the case? And what are the implications of not questioning things?

It seems that fewer and fewer Africans are questioning daily life these days. Why is not doing so, so significant? Because – and apologies in advance for sounding like a broken record – for any significant economic improvement to be made on the continent, a groundswell for change must take place from within. Nothing is owned by Africans these days, and the policies put forward by the World Bank, other development agencies and ‘new arrivals’ such as China and India will not change this anytime soon. Specifically, none of the so-called development these actors are delivering will benefit Africans.

Let me put things into perspective by chronicling the events of my life over the past two days. It started in Ghana, where on Saturday, I went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Having grown tired of eating rice, I elected to pursue an attractive alternative; plus, I must confess, the place makes a great green tea and quite bizarrely, a delicious iced tea. My evening ended at a fairly-upscale restaurant owed by a New Zealander, where, for 15 quid a plate, you can get yourself some nice grilled chicken.

On Sunday, I flew to Sierra Leone. I sat beside a senior government official who was ecstatic about how the IFC is financing a new boat connection from the country’s island airport to mainland Freetown. The company that it is assisting is British. I rather elected to take the helicopter for 50 pounds – all of which are manned by Russian pilots. In the evening, I decided to eat at a restaurant owned by a guy named ‘Faisal’ , who, I believe, is French. I sat within earshot of a couple of UN workers who still think there is war going on in this country. That is when I started thinking about this entry.

Because at the Chinese restaurant, I was surrounded by Westerners and affluent Ghanaians; likewise at the upscale restaurant, which had, on the day, played host to pretty much every one of Ghana’s mining expats. That British company that is setting up shop as a transporter, will, in all likelihood, command Western prices and service primarily the scores of NGO officers, contractors and development workers ‘developing’ Sierra Leone – a service currently being provided by the Russian helicopters. Then there is Faisal. I mean, there are a million Faisals in this country, and every one of them sells food that only we in the West can afford.

All of these industries service a small group of people in sub-Saharan Africa, operating in isolation of a burgeoning group of poor people. These industries contribute very little to African economies, and do even less to raise poor peoples’ standard of living. We in the West are not going to change this arrangement, however. Most of us are fully content with going to Accra, Freetown, Bamako and Dakar and lodging in first class accommodation, eating Chinese or Indian food in plush surroundings with fellow expats, and chilling with Faisal in the evenings. The change must come from within. Because unless Africans begin questioning why fortified buildings in the form of plush restaurants and bars, as well as services that they cannot, and likely will not, ever use, keep appearing in their cities, and lobby their leaders, this brand of development will continue to be implemented indefinitely.