President Kagame speaking alongside Nigerian vice president Oluyemi Osinbajo (extreme Left), the Executive Chairman MTN Group – Phuthuma Nhleko (2nd-L), and Siyabonga Gama (2nd-R) of Transnet.
Africans know exactly what they need to do to bring prosperity but for no reason choose to ignore and instead do the opposite or do nothing completely, according to President Paul Kagame, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
On his second day at the 2017 WEF, President Kagame on Wednesday morning featured on a panel alongside Nigerian vice president Oluyemi Osinbajo, the Executive Chairman of South African telecom giant MTN Group – Phuthuma Nhleko, and Siyabonga Gama of Transnet. The session “Building Africa” was televised on CNBC channel moderated by CNBC Editor-in-Chief, Bronwyn Nielsen.
“We keep talking about intra African trade or how it is difficult for Africans to move across Africa, but nothing changes,” said Kagame.
“There is a contradiction in our quest for prosperity and the things we know we have to do but don’t do. The large building recently inaugurated in Rwanda was built by Rwandan, Kenyan and Zimbabwean engineers and this made me proud of Africa. When we are talking about skills, there are many Africans who can deliver but we need to give them opportunities. Things are happening in Africa but we need a sense of urgency to do the things that have not been done.”
Speaking on rebuilding a nation, President Kagame said Rwandans have been single minded about doing the best we can in order to reverse the history of their country.
“You have to put rules and laws but above all you have to respect them,” he said. “There has to be a vision and a strategy to realize that vision and then it has to be carried through. There is no shortcut. Success is result of mindset across the country that we have to measure ourselves against results.”
On intra Africa trade, Kagame argued that it was time for African leaders to walk the talk and institute change for this to happen.
President Kagame pointed out that if African leaders stay focused and do the right thing, Africa should not be having the same problems it has now in the next 10-15 years.
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