Very easy to give speeches and orisirisi big talk about Africa being "open for business," but to move from one ECOWAS state to another and open a simple bank account costs $500 for a residence and work permit, $180 for a health assessment and $120 for a "non citizen ID card."
That's N377,000 just to move to an ECOWAS state. Meanwhile to get a GoFreelance visa in Dubai is N750,000.
If I can afford to waste $800 on mediocre West African value, why can't I instead spend $1,600 on the far superior Dubai offering?
And this is how to lose talent 101.
Instead of building your value proposition as a West African state around proximity to your neighbours and ease of access to services that aid business, you instead try to rip off travelers who then promptly go off to somewhere offering more value.
And you are left with nothing.
Same shit in Kenya. You want me to pay $750 annually for the privilege of living in freaking Nairobi. If I can afford to do that plus the extortionate airfare to NBO, then why not Dubai instead? Or at least South Africa?
You see how you lose money and talent because of GREED?
There are MILLIONS of us who make at least $1,000 a month on this continent and an do so remotely. All it takes is for ONE country to have the imagination and the bravery to remove all these barriers and welcome relatively well paid talent. That country would BOOM.
But nooooo
Continue putting up your stupid little protectionist barriers while talking that Pan African shite you've been talking since 1955 and paying lip service to AfCFTA.
By the time you eventually figure it out, I hope it's not too late.
Dumbass continent!
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