Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged African countries to demand more from Western countries that seek development assistance.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the West’s recent rush for Africa’s support means the continent must demand larger shares.
His remark comes in the wake of what many regard as the superpowers’ desperation for Africa’s partnership.
The Vice President spoke during an interview on the Africa Policy Journal.
“It goes without saying that we as a continent deserve a seat at the table. We are a major contributor to the development of the world in terms of our resources. We are a major bloc. AfCFTA has been developed, so it gives us some market power and negotiation power at the table if we recognize that. I think that the rest of the world will listen to us if we put our game together. But if we go with the current circumstances, we will not be listened to and be taken seriously. So, we have to do the things that make sense, so we can negotiate for things important to the continent.”
In the same interview, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia challenged African leaders not to lose sight of the fourth industrial revolution.
He believes that modern technology and artificial intelligence have the potential to change African economies.
For him, Africa cannot continue to fall behind, and the continent must actively engage in the fourth industrial revolution by leveraging technology advancements to accelerate socioeconomic growth.
“We were left behind in the first, second and third industrial revolutions, but we should not be left out in the fourth industrial revolution. I think that artificial intelligence applied properly will be a big boost to Africa to help us leapfrog and help us catch up in many areas. I think that AI should be seen as a tool to assist us”, he said.
