So back to this U. S. Of Africa business…

Allan was not the only one who thought it was a bad idea. Some argued that smaller countries would be perpetual casualties of this idea. There were also concerns that if power were to be rotated, leaders would play favorites, giving more attention to their region at the expense of the entire continent’s development.

Those who supported the idea were concerned about its economic benefits – another argument in favor of regional integration. I am no economist, but what I’d learned from all those afternoons at the African Union headquarters in Addis was this: our only hope for economic survival lay in our ability to cooperate. Playing catch up with the west is a strategy that is rigged to fail. There are regional economic blocs already in existence. Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Council (SADC) and the African Maghreb Union (AMU) in the north. All except the AMU are members of the larger African Economic Community (AEC) – the closest thing we have to a United Africa. And the only AMU country opposed to joining the AEC is Morocco. I learned that the existence of these organizations was not enough. Economists at the African Union explained that regional blocs could agree on a strategy in-house, say on trade agreements for a common export. But if I came along with an offer that was good for an individual country but could potentially undermine trade in the region, most countries would jump at my offer.

The divide and conquer strategy was still effective and such offers will be forever tempting until African countries become more concerned with actual development than the appearance of development. Instead of pride in skyscrapers and roads built by foreign workers, an educational system that can train its citizens to build their own roads and skyscrapers. Instead of heads of state running off to Saudi Arabia for treatment, a country with hospitals fit for its own president. But the onus does not fall squarely on our governments. Even among businessmen, sights are set on making connections in Asia, Europe, America when an easier to reach partner may be one country over. Firms like UAC Foods, MTN, Guaranty Trust Bank, and EcoBank had begun building franchises within Africa and I dream of a day when even smaller firms seek out expansion opportunities in neighboring African countries.