From April 22nd -23rd 2017, Africa held the 6th edition of the Tana High-level forum on security at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia’s second largest city after its capital Addis Ababa. The aim of the forum is to bring together African leaders and stake holders to engage and explore African-led security solutions.

It was reported that in its 6th edition, the forum is at the forefront of initiating dialogue with the continents policy makers and influencers.

The theme of the conference was “Natural Resource Government in Africa.” The central selection of the theme on natural resource is timely as it reflects the centrality of these resources, both in historical as well as in contemporary times. The theme helps in understanding the far reaching implications on state-society relations within the continent, and Africa’s disadvantageous position in global production and exchange since the earliest days of European penetration and colonialism.

The overall event also seeks to showcase how overtime, the exploitation of the continents rich and diverse natural resources both on land and sea has led to the creation of several unforeseen circumstances particularly those leading to inequality and poverty, corruption, unemployment, environmental degradation, violent conflicts, and the elusive quest to realise Africa’s full developmental potential.

In as much as natural resources can serve as a critical national asset to lift citizens out of dire economic situations into sustainable development as many experienced countries have clearly demonstrated, the downside is that “over the last 60 years, in any particular year, between 40 and 60 per cent of ongoing internal armed conflicts have been linked to natural resources” as stated by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

It is however worthy of note that one of the most important and contentious issues Africa currently faces in the natural resource sector is how to reverse the misfortunes of exploitation. Also ways to bring governance back while trying to ensure that the benefits accrued from the continents providential endowments create new opportunities and positive multiplier effect for citizens and state.

The summit was attended by various African leaders among which were the host; Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemarian Desalegn, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was the keynote speaker, the Chairperson of the forum, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa acting executive secretary Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and a host of other Presidents and country officials.

While speaking at the summit, President Museveni stated that the countless problems ravaging Africa such as wars, poverty, diseases, hunger and underdevelopment were as a result of policy blunders made by technocrats and political leaders. He urged his fellow leaders to stop “ideological meandering” and advised that they come out clearly and build on strategies that will help transform their people especially using the vast natural resource wealth.

Still speaking, Mr. Museveni added that he had observed that education was not the solution to solving problems plaguing the continent as widely perceived by other keynote speakers.

“That if you educate your people, everything will be okay? This was part of the mistakes in 1960s,” Mr. Museveni quoted this saying in a statement issued by his press secretary Ms Linda Nabusayi.

“This fragmented vision is incorrect; if you educate people but you don’t have infrastructure including electricity, where will they work? How will they work?” he said.

Furthermore, he contended that while Africa is at a structural disadvantage in that great ideas that have transformed some countries cannot be applied to the rest of Africa, the ideas conceived at the Tana forum can be spread through ‘Osmosis’.

“We are not like China. In China when there is one good thinker, the whole China follows them. Here, you may have good ideas localised in Ethiopia but they do not apply to the whole of Africa.”

Conclusions from the forum however stated that Africa’s natural resource wealth from oil and gas reserves is estimated to be worth 12 percent of global oil reserves, which is nearly two thirds of the world’s arable land that enables farming and among other minerals almost 40 percent of global gold deposits.

The Tana Forum was established as an independent platform on peace and security in Africa wherein leaders come up with adequate and timely responses to the inherent natural resource-curses bedevilling the continent.

Elsewhere on Ventures

Triangle arrow