I like the word Bonobo. Perfectly describes someone who can’t think to save his life.
Well, the government is borrowing another 368 billion to fund the third phase of the railway. Before you rush to scream that we are being auctioned, here is some good news.
52 out of 55 African countries (the rest are unstable such as Burundi and Somalia) signed the agreements to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area last year. So far, 19 out 22 countries needed have ratified the agreement via their respective national parliaments, with 3 more to go. By the end of the year, the $3.4 trillion market of 1.2 billion people will be one common market. No customs, no tariffs, free movement of people and goods etc. Sounds good, huh?
Of course, Nigeria is late to the party, but it will come on board sooner than you think now that elections are over and placating voters is no longer a priority.
The SGR will help move goods and people across the vast continent faster and efficiently. Once we reach Congo, we will hit the jackpot. That country alone has huge potential in hydropower (Grand Inga Dam-50,000 MW), timber, agriculture, minerals etc. Once skilled people move in there and the African Union military moves in to stabilize the country, all bets are off!
Boss, don’t ever fall for that common market gimmick. Are you aware the customs union that exists here in East Africa can’t be actualized because of pettiness. Whether ratified or not it will just be in name…non tariff barriers will still persist and countries like Tanzania will still refuse free movement of anything, be it goods, transfer of services or even people.
If you think am lying try getting a work permit in Tanzania…or ask kenyan sugarcane farmers if they will ever allow cheaper imports from places like Zambia…
Or better still ask any African foreigner in kenya about the struggle they go through to get a simple student visa or work permit.
Let’s not even discuss operationalisation of common external tariffs…impossible with our pettiness.
Like someone posted on some other thread Africans are jokers…we already have comesa…how have we used it…and how is AU helping a common African? Those are some of the issues that lower my optimism
When we open the borders somalis and Nigerians will Colonise us proper. Magufuli haezi kubali ushenzi kama iyo. china itakuwa inadump vitu somalia halafu zinaspread africa yote
The only way Africa can attract large-scale investments by giant multinationals is to do away with this small economic fragmentation that psychologically turns off investors from developed economies by making them appear tiny and not worth their attention. Plus Africa as a whole will have a greater bargaining power. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Focus on the big picture. Or are you comfortable with African nations importing stuffs we can easily buy from one another and retain money within the continent and create jobs in the process?
Look, stop focusing on what Nigerians or Somalis can do to us. We are all African brothers. Actually, I have found plenty of assistance from Nigerians in my travels in the West. The moment you realize that the Western nations give each other visa-free travel privileges and prefer to trade with each other to retain their monies whilst denying us such privileges most of the time, will you realize that we are better off banded together. United we stand, divided we fall!! Africa should trade with each other and have common stance on matters that help their kindred. Look at Trump extending Zimbabwe sanctions so as to make the country an example of what happens if you go against their directives, whilst Botswana rushed to bail the country out so that it can get back on its own feet
In as much as I support free trade…I do not support open borders as such. I would rather we did that within the convines of east African community. There are some countries I would never like us to be united with or have it citizens roaming around us such as Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria and all Arabic African countries. These are the countries i mainly dislike in Africa.