Post-Covid Africa should come up with own solutions to its problems

Published:February 11,2022

By AGGREY MUTAMBO

A Covid-19 vaccination centre in Johannesburg. To date, the continent has only vaccinated a tenth of its 1.23 billion people, short of the 70 percent rate UN target PHOTO | AFP

• Besides the politics, where or how to invest the money could determine Africa’s recovery. Traditionally a net importer of goods, Africa should utilise its foreign aid or loans better.
• Some African leaders already admit corruption has been eating into the coffers of money received on credit.
• And although Covid-19 challenged historical assumptions that pandemics emerged from the poor, the manner in which rich countries shut doors on Africa and hogged vaccines means Africa must fend for itself.

Africa, like the rest of the world, was battered by Covid-19 pandemic, which exposed glaring gaps in global relations.

But a new report from US think-tank Brookings Institution says the continent, while learning from others, will have to devise local solutions from correcting its politics to ensuring both boys and girls attend school, empowering women and ramping up vaccination.

Africa was last week fighting yet another crisis: A coup in Burkina Faso where soldiers toppled President Roch Kabore. This coup has become the fifth during the pandemic season.

Sudan, Chad, Mali, and Guinea have taken a similar route. But coups and other misadventures like illegal stay in power or authoritarianism hinder recovery of African economies, warns Foresight Africa 2022, a report by the Brookings Institution.

Serial borrower

The report has encouraged the continent to invest in the “premium of good leadership”, which could go a long way to support basic policies like infrastructure and openness in governance.

Makhtar Diop, managing director of the International Finance Corporation says conflict and instability could make it harder for the continent to manage crises as it did during Ebola outbreak. “Today, I still see Africa’s potential clearly — a global economic driver, digital innovation hub, and model for green, resilient infrastructure,” he argued.

“But I am also concerned about Africa’s future, especially for the young people coming of age in a time of great uncertainty. Conflict is on the rise, and the number of countries falling into instability is increasing.” The instability won’t just hurt the source countries. Neighbours too could feel the burden of refugees and broken trading lines.

Besides the politics, where or how to invest the money could determine Africa’s recovery. Traditionally a net importer of goods, Africa should utilise its foreign aid or loans better. Citing Asian Tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, for example), the report says that Africa can fight poverty by ensuring projects funded by aid or loans are “locally owned.”

Greg Mills and Marie-Noelle Nwokolo, director and researcher, respectively, at Brenthurst Foundation, argue in a segment that while some of these Asian countries aren’t fully democratic, they have established better policy.

“A lot of East Asia’s success has been down to leadership, policy style, and governance substance,” they argued.

It means Africa must focus on education, technology, support for private sector and promote local manufacturing.

Some African leaders already admit corruption has been eating into the coffers of money received on credit. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema says his country has witnessed an eroded economy as corruption rose.

“As a consequence, our debt has risen to unsustainable levels, reducing the country’s capacity to invest in productive areas of our economy and its ability to address the gaps in health care, education, and other social services. We will pay special attention to lowering the fiscal deficit, reducing public debt, and restoring social and market confidence,” he said in a commentary to the report.

Pandemics and epidemics

Vaccination against Covid-19, the most reliable defence, after prevention, should be Africa’s priority. And although Covid-19 challenged historical assumptions that pandemics emerged from the poor, the manner in which rich countries shut doors on Africa and hogged vaccines means Africa must fend for itself.

“The idea or rhetoric of global solidarity in the face of a pandemic rang hollow. Africa has experienced firsthand what vehement declarations of solidarity for poor and vulnerable countries meant,” argues Muhammad Ali Pate, a Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard University.

“When the chips were down, almost every country and region prioritised their own interests.” To date, the continent has only vaccinated a tenth of its 1.23 billion people. Most of the vaccines it tried buying had already been bought and as most countries roll out booster shots, the AU has maintained the distribution has been inclusive.

“Such inequality is not simply unjust; given the potential for dangerous mutations that could affect vaccine effectiveness, it is epidemiologically wrong. As a result, Africa may well become the Covid epicentre” argued Michel Sidibé, a former Minister for Health of Mali, now Special Envoy for the African Medicines Agency, a new arm of the African Union meant to ensure proper distribution of urgent drugs. “Africa cannot and must not be left out of the vaccination conversation. Delays in vaccinating everyone have an economic cost as well.”

Climate change

Africa came out of Glasgow last year, after the COP26 climate change talks, mostly disappointed after countries failed to agree on how to implement the $100 billion funds for poor countries by 2020.

The conference saw countries agree on following on targets to limit global warming as several dozens of nations agreed to gradually abandon coal and improve reforestation. Yet Africa will hope that the next conference to be held in Egypt can address the issue of climate change better.

In Africa, weather related incidents have eaten into economies, the report says. Ethiopia, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe are some of those who have seen worst storms, droughts or floods in the recent past. This week, hurricane Ana killed more than 36 people in Madagascar and Mozambique. In the Horn of Africa, drought is currently fueling fears of famine in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, according to a situation report by the UN.

Jeane Mabunda Lioko, a Member of Parliament in the DRC says her country’s role as the “lung” of the world is now at risk unless there are concerted efforts to boost electricity supply, which can help provide alternative source of jobs to deforestation.

“Our prosperity and peace are incumbent on powering our economic development and creating enough gainful employment opportunities for our growing population.

“That is not something that can be done in the dark. Without achieving universal access to electricity, we will be vulnerable to underdevelopment, high unemployment, a migration crisis, and instability,” she warns.

According to Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, a non-resident fellow on Africa Growth Initiative, and Aloysius Uche Ordu, Director and Senior fellow for the Afric Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution, the Cop27 should be owned by the continent.

“However, Africa’s policymakers should not be passive recipients of what “others” can do for Africa in COP27.

“Africans should be well prepared and organised. They should have a unified, active, and consistent voice about the dire consequences of climate change for the continent and the urgency to take action.”

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