Protecting Africa's agricultural assets

Kako Nubukpo (2022) Une solution pour l’Afrique : du néoprotectionnisme aux biens communs # 304 p.

If the growth of the African continent is certain, it is sometimes poorly controlled, and endangers the preservation of some of its natural resources. Lakes, plains, rivers, forests, so many common goods that need to be protected, according to Kako Nubukpo, author of the book "A solution for Africa". 

He defends the idea of neo-protectionism as a solution to protect these goods and guarantee their access, for the benefit of all Africans.

Africa is subject to a gigantic challenge: to integrate in one generation 1 billion additional individuals in a context of low productivity, virtual absence of industry, accelerated urbanization, all topped by a climate crisis that has become permanent.

This “African emergency” makes it necessary to invent a new economic model. Because Africa has too often been a guinea pig continent, subject to all kinds of predation. The unexpected behind closed doors of the Covid-19 crisis allowed him to rediscover the richness of his heritage. Armed with this lesson, it must now reinvent its development by relying on its common goods.

Putting in place an African neo-protectionism and preserving its own resources (land, digital goods, etc.), ensuring its sovereignty – food by developing agroecology, monetary and financial with the creation of a debt agency – are all avenues for Africa is reclaiming its destiny. With this conviction: by promoting a sharing economy, the commons are also deeply rooted in African social reality.

The concept of local consumption should eventually become a real business development program that will contribute significantly to industrial development, increased demand and job creation, all things that will contribute to the creation of wealth and the improvement of the living conditions of the populations. (page 49)

Background:

Kako Nubukpo is Commissioner in charge of the Department of Agriculture, Water Resources and Environment of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Economist, declared opponent of the CFA franc, he is director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Observatory of the Jean-Jaurès Foundation. He was Minister in charge of the Prospective and Evaluation of public policies in Togo (2013-2015). He is the author of L’Urgence africaine (Odile Jacob, 2019).