Post-Coronavirus, Africa's Manufacturing Moment | Opinion

Across the world, as countries and economies slowly reopen, Africa lags behind. We were last to experience the coronavirus—and we expect to be the final continent to flatten the curve.

Some may say it is too early, that the crisis still too deep and the recovery too distant to dwell upon the future. But that is wrong. In times of global crisis it is critical to think of the life after, and how—through adversity—we can refashion the world around us.

In this new, post-coronavirus age, Nigeria—and Africa, more broadly—wish to benefit the world, not be a drag on its resources or seemingly forever in need of aid. At last, after years of poor governance, we have the people, the purpose and the political will for this to change.

What we need now is for the vision of others to match our own. And Africa is positioned to play a critical role in the remolding of a post-coronavirus world that centers around manufacturing.

Of course, for many lost decades, Africa's manufacturing moment has been on the launch pad, but never leaving it. But this time, I am convinced, it can be different.

In our lifetime, we have seen the West transform to a service-based economy, with much of its factory production relocated primarily to Asia. This has led to the creation of home-grown consumer goods from countries such as South Korea and China that are enjoyed around the globe as widely as are their Western equivalents.

It is simply untrue that jobs that build the goods of today, once departed from the West to Asia, can never return. Indeed, we see already from "onshoring" trends that this is not the case. Factors of labor cost, transportation, location and availability of natural and energy resources will always come into play.

What is true is that no country or continent has a permanent monopoly on manufacturing jobs. Indeed, we see how Asian nations are themselves now offshoring manufacturing to their neighbors and, increasingly, to Africa.

My continent is positioned to seize the opportunity from these trends and, in turn, benefit the world. Our young population is increasingly well educated; governance reform, while not universal, is growing in strength in most African countries such as my own, where our sustained actions against the seemingly perennial scourge of corruption and malfeasance are well-recognized; and the energy, infrastructure and key natural resources needed to power and supply large-scale manufacturing facilities are in place.

In Nigeria, a major global oil producer, we have finally established our first private oil refinery—which is also one of the largest in the world. The Mambilla power plant, finally unlocked for completion after a successful decision by the International Court of Arbitration in Paris earlier this year removed impediments, will electrify the homes of some 10 million of our people.

And we can now move forward with road, rail and power station construction—in part, under own resources—thanks to close to a billion dollars of funds stolen from the people of Nigeria under a previous, undemocratic junta in the 1990s that have now been returned to our country from the U.S., U.K. and Switzerland.

That these friendly nations agreed to return these funds after so long is testament to the fact that, thanks to our governance reforms, Nigeria is rightly seen as an increasingly stable and beneficial place to transact and invest. It is much the same across the continent, with sub-saharan Africa now outpacing Asia, Europe and North America by some measures in terms of foreign direct investment inflows-to-GDP, perhaps for the very first time.

While that is good news for over one billion Africans, the greatest benefit to those who look to our continent as the brightest global manufacturing location is that we are not, and do not seek, to engage in geopolitical competition.

That is not to say that African countries do not have interests or preferences. Nigeria already has, and seeks to deepen further, our relations with other Commonwealth countries—particularly in the interests of trade. And the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which I signed for Nigeria last year, seeks to bind our continent in mutual growth together for the first time.

We hold shared values in democracy, freedoms of speech and religion with the Western world—and admiration and determination to learn and follow the rapid economic growth and poverty reduction that has occurred across Asia.

But ultimately, Africa is an opportunity for all and a threat to no one. There will be no African armies or aircraft carriers in the future, roaming the sands of faraway lands or the straits of foreign seas. We do not seek to grow our manufacturing capabilities in order to grant ourselves a seat at the table of some new great geopolitical game—but merely to play our part as partners in development.

Muhammadu Buhari is president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

Source: https://www.newsweek.com/post-coronavirus-africas-manufacturing-moment-opinion-1507155

Fake news!

Abacha did not steal... Bubu..

Liar baba...

Abasha no be thief

"...Thanks to close to a billion dollars of funds stolen from the people of Nigeria under a previous, undemocratic junta in the 1990s that have now been returned to our country from the U.S., U.K. and Switzerland.

Subuhanallahi! "Undemocratic junta"? The head of the junta does not have a name? Yet this hypocrite was a partaker? Why did the mods changed the original article?

Meanwhile, after the hypocrisy have been exposed and the dummy refused to sell.Now the rhetoric is- "Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s late military Dictator, stole close to $1bn between 1993 and 1998." and his protegeè followed suit.Truth can never be changed.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that late General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s late military Dictator, stole close to $1bn between 1993 and 1998.

"Abacha never stole a dime" -Buhari. Helinues, Seunmsg,

Is buhari okay

Lol... But this same Bubu said Abacha never stole?

Or it was another Bubu that say so few years ago?

gurunlocker:
Lol... But this same Bubu said Abacha never stole?

Or it was another Bubu that say so few years ago?

A scam does not have two names....

Then:

-Babangida must have stolen 3 billion dollars
-Abdulsalam abubakar have stolen 500million
-Obasanjo must have stolen 2 billion dollars
-Jona must have stolen 1 billion dollars

And you Buhari...

Which Buhari said that? perhaps buhari is drunk when he said it because I remembered the last time he called Abacha Angel that don't like money




Buhari na coded thief, his babalawo na don because the abuse gej got, Buhari useless years in governance have got nothing close even though human lives means nothing to this evil and devilish Buhari

Bubu Sinzu money

Majority of those who believed is a saint have relocated abroad.

Hmmm

Tomorrow Femi or Garba will refute this

gurunlocker:
Lol... But this same Bubu said Abacha never stole?

Or it was another Bubu that say so few years ago?

it was a cabal under the former chief of staff that said that

What of obasa?

Why did Abacha put all those money in banks and not buy houses, gold, cars and other properties?

I don't think all the money are looted as we are made to believe. Yes he looted some but I think that a good percentage of this money was simply put away for a reason best known to him and his crew.

J111333:
Why did Abacha put all those money in banks and not buy houses, gold, cars and other properties?

I don't think all the money are looted as we are made to believe. Yes he looted some but I think that a good percentage of this money was simply put away for a reason best known to him and his crew.

See them, Defence Ministry...

This man

Omooba77:


See them, Defence Ministry...

J111333:

Na so

see the amount of money they have recovered since 1998
Abacha continue to rot in HELL

J111333:
Why did Abacha put all those money in banks and not buy houses, gold, cars and other properties?

I don't think all the money are looted as we are made to believe. Yes he looted some but I think that a good percentage of this money was simply put away for a reason best known to him and his crew.

Guy talk with sense small na

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that late General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s late military Dictator, stole close to $1bn between 1993 and 1998.

For the brainwashed tins that Cownu, FFK and Mumu Reno brainwahsed their empty brains into believing PMB says the dark-evil- googled general (Abacha) never stole a single penny.
Can you now see your life?

Our darling Daddy that we know will never ever recount on his words.
He asked you failures (the only 2 times he has time to respon to your lying stupidity to quote when he says such, but you and your wailing criminals of failures all kept mute to the challenge and will only continue after some months...pathetic liars!)

But this is the power of brainwashing.
They keep lying to their dead brains, quoting and concocting lies with no credible source, whatsoever to back up their lies, apart from quoting from their totoriblog.com....foolishness @ it's peak!

Being brainwashed is truly one of the most dangerous thing in life.
And more so, it is addictive and easily transferred to fellow light headed innocent kids.

WAILERS ARE LIARS!
Wailing zombies everywhere!!

In 1998, General Abubakar Abdulsalami recovered $750m from the Abacha family; in 2000, General Olusegun Obasanjo recovered $64m from Switzerland; still in 2002, Obasanjo got another $1.2bn from a deal with the Abacha family and another $160m in 2003 from Jersey, British Island. Obasanjo got another $88m in 2003, $461m in 2005 and $44 in 2006, all from Switzerland.

On his part, former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan retrieved $227m from Liechtenstein 

You will never ever see these wailing two times losers talk about all these monies written up there, especially the 1.2 BILLION USA DOLLARS.

Corruption and stealing has become a norm to them.
And you will see such hypocrites castigating and cursing those who voted out the thieves above

Will sane, honest and hardworking Nigerians ever vote PDP out, if everything was going in the right direction?

And they will be blaming those that refused to vote for a thief to continue from where they stopped.
Small small thieves crying for Big looters looting the future of their unborn kids.

If you ever quote or castigate us or any of the over 15 Million Nigerians for voting out these criminals and rather queue behind a man of integrity,
May you never end well in life.
(This prayers is only for the losers quoting us on a daily basis to say trash)
For the others,
We respect your opinion of voting for a world known thief (according to international media), we will never castigate you for your political preference, everyone has a right to vote.
Do respect our opinion of voting for a man we trusted in also.

Peace out!

chocolatelady:
Pls don’t mind them. U know that Nigerians like to believe what they want to hear instead of believing the truth. Say it 100times here in this forum, they will still believe that one that suits them. Some of them cannot even do simple research before displaying their ignorance on public forum and u will not be surprised why they are been called lazy youth.

chocolatelady:
Pls don’t bother to explain or list any thing PMB did for this country . They are aware but the hatred they have for the man will never allow them to admit it. They hated PMB with passion simply becos he blocked all avenues for stealing money. Politicians no longer get bribes before they can pass budgets. Contractors no longer pour granites or sand and ran away with the mobilization fee becos he will get stamped that he has finished the work. Since there is no more free money for politicians to steal, they no longer share money to people, so the effects is so glaring that it is really biting those that depend on the free money to eat . That’s why they are crying up and down simple. Had it been that their hero did 1/4of what PMB is doing now, we would have passed the age of building roads and railways. Yeye people.

It is always good and refreshing to see that we still have reasonable and sensible people like you on this forum ma.
These thieves supporting thieves will always be knock on the head with the truth.
Nigeria will be great again in our lifetime.
Wailers and thieves can keep wailing throughout their miserable a d frustrated lifetime.
Kokanye mehn!

post=90107266:

For the brainwashed tins that Cownu, FFK and Mumu Reno brainwahsed their empty brains into believing PMB says the dark-evil- googled general (Abacha) never stole a single penny.Can you now see your life? Our darling Daddy that we know will never ever recount on his words.......

"..Muhammadu Buhari has always been invested in cleansing Abacha’s appallingly grubby reputation as a murderous larcener. During the 10th-year-rememberance anniversary of Abacha in Kano in June 2008, for instance, Muhammadu Buhari remarked that, contrary to settled narratives in the Nigerian public sphere, Abacha never stole from Nigeria."
https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2020/05/history-of-abachas-theft-is-being.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+NotesFromAtlanta+

Nobody is deceived with this your whitewashing of a man that was a well know know accompliance to a criminal & defended the same criminal with gusto.

This Buhari sef!

Is this man mentally challenged
First he didn’t steal, and now this
Nawa oo

Racoon:


"..Muhammadu Buhari has always been invested in cleansing Abacha’s appallingly grubby reputation as a murderous larcener. During the 10th-year-rememberance anniversary of Abacha in Kano in June 2008, for instance, Muhammadu Buhari remarked that, contrary to settled narratives in the Nigerian public sphere, Abacha never stole from Nigeria."
https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2020/05/history-of-abachas-theft-is-being.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+NotesFromAtlanta+

Nobody is deceived with this you whitewashing of a man that was a well know know accompliance to a criminal & defended the same criminal with gusto.

Farook.com is the source you can quote with the rubbish lies you and your type have written here over 10million times?
Farook, the same pained loser in PDP?!
You deseved to be flogged,
But we won't do that because of Madam.
What a shame!

This will be the only time we have replied you for once in your hundreds of quotes, and we won't give you the privilege of getting more comments from Yours Truly.

It will be a waste of time
Go back to your farook.com to chill!
What a Waste of time and space.

Gone are those days you have intellectual, mature political discuss with senior men and women here,
Now, it has been overtaken by kids that know nothing more than insult and 'slowness'!
Tueeh

See them sounding so slow all over the thread with no credible source.
Bunch of clowns
Damn!

chocolatelady:
Pls don’t mind them. U know that Nigerians like to believe what they want to hear instead of believing the truth. Say it 100times here in this forum, they will still believe that one that suits them. Some of them cannot even do simple research before displaying their ignorance on public forum and u will not be surprised why they are been called lazy youth.

chocolatelady:
Pls don’t bother to explain or list any thing PMB did for this country . They are aware but the hatred they have for the man will never allow them to admit it. They hated PMB with passion simply becos he blocked all avenues for stealing money. Politicians no longer get bribes before they can pass budgets. Contractors no longer pour granites or sand and ran away with the mobilization fee becos he will get stamped that he has finished the work. Since there is no more free money for politicians to steal, they no longer share money to people, so the effects is so glaring that it is really biting those that depend on the free money to eat . That’s why they are crying up and down simple. Had it been that their hero did 1/4of what PMB is doing now, we would have passed the age of building roads and railways. Yeye people.

It is always good and refreshing to see that we still have reasonable and sensible people like you on this forum ma.
These thieves supporting thieves will always be knock on the head with the truth.
Nigeria will be great again in our lifetime.
Wailers and thieves can keep wailing throughout their miserable a d frustrated lifetime.
Kokanye mehn!

If this report is true, then this Is a prove to support the claims that some of the Abacha loot are not really loots from Abacha because Nigeria have received more than 1billion dollars of Abacha loot since the time of Abdulsalam and Obasanjo till date. Which set my mind thinking who owns the other loots repatriated under the guise of Abacha loot!

post=90110278:

Farook.com is the only source you can quoted with the rubbish lies you and your type has written here over 10million times?......

You should be grossly ashame of yourself but sorry the current Abacha didnt steal a dime man will rather be so much ashame of your dye-in-the-wool defense of his criminality.Such a nauseating defense.