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By Abdullateef Salau
The Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alhaji Rashid Bawa, says Africa has not experienced the desired growth because of its heavy reliance on foreign aid for development.
Bawa spoke through his representative, the Ghanaian mission’s Charge d’Affaires, Ahmed Tijani Abubakar, yesterday at a reception to mark Ghana’s 61st independence anniversary in Abuja.
The envoy said although foreign aid was meant to accelerate post-colonial development, it had helped keep African countries as raw material export-based economies to the advantage of developed economies.
“It is against this background that the current government of Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo is advocating for new growth and development narratives in term of Ghana trade and investment relations with its development partners,” he said, adding that boosting intra-African trade, which currently stands at 12%, remained the best way to achieve self-reliance.
The Liberian ambassador to Nigeria, Prof Al-Hassan Conteh, said mobilizing domestic resources for development had become imperative because Africa cannot keep relying on other countries.
DAILY TRUST