How to rid Africa of poverty —Ezekwesili

Posted by admin Africa & World Politics Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

FOR nations in Africa to banish poverty from their domain, their leaders must ensure and sustain an annual growth of the continent’s economy by 11 per cent.

World Bank Vice-President for Africa Region, Obiageli Ezekwesili, made this observation on Monday in Lagos while addressing media chiefs on the role of the media in development.

Ezekwesili, who addressed journalists from 26 African countries through video conference, noted that macro economic situation in Africa enjoyed stability and a steady growth that made it to stand at 5.7 per cent before the global recession that collapsed it to 1.7 per cent. She, however, expressed joy that the continent’s economy had rebounded to 3.8 per cent as a result of sound economic focus.

“We want it to grow better and for Africa to have an upward trend in growth, its economy must experience an annual growth by 11 per cent,” Ezekwesili stressed.

Ezekwesili, however, regretted that the economic growth in Africa, before the recession, did not translate to job creation and and provision of food for the people.

The World Bank chief warned that now that the economy was gradually coming out of recession, African leaders should fight against macro economic shocks that could stunt its growth.

Among the shocks that she listed were the international oil prices, high food prices for nations that survive on food importation, health shock as informed by drugs importation for diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and others.

She urged the media to utilise the existence of the freedom of Information Bill in Nigeria to demand good governance from the nation’s leaders, which she described as the catalyst for the nation’s rapid growth

-Tribunewp_posts