Fmr. Minister of Works (Liberia); -Infra., governance; Africa
May 3, 2024 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
As Minister of Works in Liberia, I was guided by four principles in how we selected road projects. 1. Choose the ones that connected the most people 2. Had a multiplier effect on existing investment 3. Advanced regional integration 4) Enhanced administrative integrity
Administrative integrity of the state is how I described the circumstances in which people see a visible presence of the state in their lives - providing services. This was especially true for places farthest from the capital.
Feb 16, 2022 • 14 tweets • 3 min read
I am not advocating that the US completely cedes the hard infrastructure space to China, but it's not the best use of US resources to attempt matching the Chinese on road, rail and port building. In price-sensitive frontier markets, US firms will not be competitive.
I know US and European policymakers attempt to create the impression that Chinese-built infrastructure is lacking in quality. This has not been my experience whether on bilateral or multilateral-funded projects. It's not like MDBs are out there paying for crappy work.
Feb 15, 2022 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Two years ago, I highlighted this story about how much of the African market share Chinese contractors have taken. European contractors met in Berlin "to come up with ways to regain market share they've lost to Chinese builders."dw.com/en/building-af…
But African contractors too find it difficult to compete against their Chinese counterparts. Chinese contractors received the bulk of the World Bank-funded projects in Kenya. Value for money - they always will businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/wor…
Feb 10, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Europe unveils its first "Global Gateway" projects in Africa. This, one hopes, is but a beginning.
In November of last year, the US was apparently eyeing January to roll out the first B3W projects. It's February. No pressure. reuters.com/world/us-eyes-…
Feb 9, 2022 • 15 tweets • 3 min read
What good is juju? Hear me out. When we were kids, there were always inter-school athletics and there were certain schools famous for supposedly having juju. Either the goalie would have some amulet behind the goal or teams would go see some juju man for powers to win the game.
Obviously, these guys operated like faith healers. A win was sign of their power, a loss was because people missed some step of the ritual - unfalsifiable outcomes. This extended beyond grade school football, the local football league was rife with such characters and practice.
Jun 16, 2021 • 11 tweets • 5 min read
Thread: This IMF blog from my brother, @aselassie and co-authors raise serious questions about how to finance African infrastructure and how to increase private participation. This is really, really good. blogs.imf.org/2021/06/14/how…
In both practice and research, I've found the barriers and challenges they outline here to hold true. One hopes that their blogpost is both intended to spur debate around these issues and are a departure point for a substantive response to the issues they raised.
Jun 15, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Africa’s share of global trade fell by more than half, from 4.8% in 1980 to only 2.2% in 1988. Today it's 2.8%. The explanation, as @RencapMan shows: value accrues to finished goods when Africa's exports are concentrated in unprocessed mineral, agricultural and forest products.
To add value (industrialization) requires infrastructure. We need power. If energy access rate hovers around 40% and over 600 million people lack access to electricity, the graph Charlie posted is the inevitable outcome. Electricity is the lifeblood of industrialization.
Jun 14, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
For African policymakers and publics, the Trump's administrations schizophrenic engagement was whiplash-inducing as it veered left and right in every which direction. The President both allegedly spoke disparagingly about the continent and his policies seemed actively hostile.
President Trump's deportation of Africans was aggressive even during the pandemic, when flights were grounded and national borders remained closed. qz.com/africa/1885398…
Jun 9, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Four months ago, the AU infrastructure envoy announced an Infrastructure Fund, financed with about 5% of the holdings of African sovereign wealth and pension funds. There has been no news of uptake or an anchor investor(s) for the fund. reuters.com/article/us-afr…
Since the pandemic has undermined the fiscal position of most countries, financing infrastructure with national budgets will be severely limited after the pandemic. Even worse is the trend of declining funding from bilateral, multilateral & private lenders bakermckenzie.com/en/insight/pub…
Jun 9, 2021 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
Thread:
I am sure the "more than 100 economists" who signed this earnestly believe they're doing the right thing. Sorta like the road to hell and good intentions, the blanket ban proposed here is misguided and will cause more harm than good. news.trust.org/item/202106081…
Any ban must accommodate a carve-out for the poorest countries in the world, since they bear the least responsibility for the crisis and the greatest need. I'm talking about the 48 African countries south of the Sahara. Nobody should look to Africa for emissions reduction.
Mar 31, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
This research is an excellent addition to the body of knowledge around Chinese lending practices, especially as we think through the implications of the pandemic on the fiscal position of indebted low income countries - mainly in Africa. cgdev.org/blog/secretive…
In a lot of ways, it brings systematic evidence to what we knew anecdotally. Questions about the opacity of Chinese lending have been a constant refrain in critiques of China's lending practice. We know now that it is a feature, not a bug.
Jan 20, 2021 • 18 tweets • 7 min read
Congratulations to @POTUS. Joining my voice to other Africans at home and in the Diaspora who hope for a better, more substantive engagement. We're rooting for you and hope you can achieve your agenda - both for the American people and for the world. THREAD
In his prepared remarks for his committee hearing @ABlinken promised "engage the world not as it was, but as it is.” WE will hold you to that. US Africa policy should, in intent and practice, seek mutual prosperity between Africa and America. 1/
Jan 11, 2021 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
China and African Debt - A short thread
Continuing a 30-year tradition, the Chinese Foreign Minister began his year with a trip to Africa. There is no better indication of the importance China attaches to its relationship with the continent. 1/
Which is why it is so disappointing that very little of note was achieved. Up to now, Africa has suffered more from the economic fallout of the pandemic. Debt servicing and a liquidity crunch has backed us against the wall and one would have expected this to be addressed. /2
Aug 10, 2020 • 20 tweets • 4 min read
Last week, I published a thread on what Africa's position ought to be in the rising tension between China and the West. I attempted to lay out arguments against why Africa would choose the West, as a "partner of choice" over China. This week, I want to focus on China. THREAD
China's partnership pitch to African states is compelling. It presents itself as a brotherly nation with the shared experience of the ills of colonialism, yet has no colonial baggage. It offers to assist in financing and building infrastructure to advance African prosperity. 1/
Aug 5, 2020 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
Africa's position in the New "Cold War" - Thread
As deputy chief of staff to President Sirleaf, I once took my team to one of the urban slums to talk about the government's programs. I highlighted our human rights, anti-corruption and road building record. 1/
When I was done, one of the listeners raised his hand to ask a question. He wanted to know if he could "cook these things and feed them to his children." He was unimpressed with my response. Bread and butter issues, meeting people's direct needs can never be substituted. 2/
Apr 18, 2020 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
A few thoughts on the USG's posture toward @WHO: Between Nov. 2002 & March 2003 UN inspectors conducted more over 900 inspections at more than 500 sites across Iraq and found no chemical or biological weapons. There was no evidence of a nuclear weapons program. 1/
Dissatisfied with Iraq's level of cooperation, however, the US United States abandoned the inspections process and initiated the invasion of Iraq on March 19. The whole Middle East is still paying steep price for this decision. It's important to note what did not happen after. 2/
Dec 22, 2018 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
This is a thread: Having been in the position of policymakers who negotiate such financial agreements, I am sympathetic to policymakers in Africa who have the impossible task of using very limited resources to close gaping deficits in infrastructure and social services. 1/
Borrowing carries the dual risk of closing the fiscal space while debt overhang & servicing crowd out everything else. Then there's the time issue: For governments in the tropics, there are only 6 mos. in the year, since no civil works can be done during the raining season. 2/
