Osinbajo calls US to supports African ports, other infrastructural needs

Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President of Nigeria

Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called on the US Government to support Africa to meet its infrastructural needs in the areas of power stations, ports, rail networks, and roads to spur growth and reduce the time and costs of doing business on the continent. 

Osinbajo stressed that the US – Africa relations need not be uni-dimensional as the US is a global leader in economic and military terms as well as through its contributions to the norms that shape the global order.

Nigeria’s Vice President made the call in remark at the 2021 Johns Hopkins African Studies Programme Conference themed “Africa-US Re-engagement: A New Foreign Policy Agenda”

According to him, “I think that the US could work with Africa either under the auspices of the African Union or indeed through individual countries like Nigeria to build a better world. Africa should not be seen or used as a pawn in great power games nor as an arena in the contest to secure strategic minerals and natural resources but rather as a partner in building a more secure, more peaceful, and prosperous world.

“Indeed, rather than view every interaction with Africa from a competitive lens, I think that the US can work with other countries to support Africa in its efforts to meet our infrastructural needs. Infrastructure in the form of power stations, ports, rail networks, and roads, will spur growth and reduce the time and costs of doing business.”

President Osinbajo who called for a resetting of the US policy agenda with Africa maintained that the fate of Africa, for good or ill, will impact the rest of the world in this century because of its increasing share of humanity and because of its indispensable contribution to managing the global commons, be it to improve human security, to avert pandemics, or indeed to tackle the crises caused by climate change.

He noted that It is estimated for instance that Africa will account for 25% of the global population by 2050 up from about 17% today, which is an 8% increase as Nigeria is projected to be the third most populous country in the world by that date (2050) after India and China. “If this increasing share of the global population is reflected in economic productivity and increased material well-being, then it surely augurs well for the world.

“If, however, it brings about increased poverty and misery, then Africa could become a hotbed of restive youth that are vulnerable to the negative promptings of maniacal populists and religious radicals. And also for the other global concerns such as climate change, distractions such as worsening poverty, violent extremism, and dysfunctional governance, can only worsen matters.

“So, I think that a resetting of the US policy agenda with Africa should promote a partnership that brings about economic prosperity, increases security, combats disease, improves governance, and mitigates the effects of climate change.

“Africa is in many ways the last frontier for economic development and it has the potential to be a global growth pole.

“Indeed, as other parts of the world are looking inwards, Africa is moving confidently to integrate its economies through the African Union Agenda 2063 as well as the recent establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.

“As Asian countries move to produce more sophisticated goods and services and as labour becomes more expensive there, Africa has a good chance to become the new factory of the world. This would require investment in machinery, skills, and technologies to improve productivity and increase returns.

“So, I think the United States is well placed to lead trade and investment ties with Africa. And it has a good leg in with The African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA). The legislation, which removed all tariffs on 6,400 products available for export to the US, saw some African countries benefiting considerably.”

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*