Publisher's Message
“Then he said to me: “Son of man, th They say, ‘Our bones are dried up an Therefore prophesy and say to them: My people, I am going to open your g will bring you back to the land of Afri
Ricky Muloweni Publisher's Message
The time and need is now for Africans living in the Diaspora to participate in the process of establishing more value-added industries in Africa! The African population has more than enough middle class families to provide an initial market for any value addition startup company. Diaspora Africans have the ability to inject an enormous jolt of funds in the African manufacturing industry with their estimated annual savings of US$53 billion. Given that some if not many Africans in
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July-August 2020
the Diaspora left their countries of origin due to economic reasons, it is clearly hard for them to see themselves doing business "back home" with that historical perspective. Africa continues to evolve. The economic woes that you left could get worse and even be overtaken by new colonialists that seem to be coming into Africa in droves under the pretext as friends protecting your continent from the West. No matter how far you go to the West you still have your families remaining in the cities and villages you grew up in. Yes, the British colonial masters where bad, but they left you, your country, your dignity and your people and gave you your 'independence.' But the new economic colonial masters are coming and o ering loans to your current leaders with clauses imbedded within that surrenders part of your national land to them for generations, way past the time when you will be gone. And, they are doing it as you read this message. So the question is “What will you do now?” Now, when you have the ability to work with your western friends, who by now consider you an equal, to invest in a small business in your home village? Africa cannot, allow itself to lose all of the freedoms that Nyerere, Nkrumah, Kaunda, Mandela and many others bled and died for. We know the working age population of Africa is growing. Many African families are moving into middle income status in part because the Diaspora relatives are sponsoring them. With that they are also consuming “nice things.” And, the vast majority of Africa is clearly young. We all can help our youth to do great things and then enjoy our old age. Africans living in the Diaspora have many
DAWN
www.africanbusinessassociation.org
