With the exception of two visionary contributions - that economic reform policies need to focus on local investors and that true entrepreneurs now need to stand up and be counted - the rest may have been all gleaned from a well-stocked public library. In short, it was the usual mourning of Africa's marginalisation, official inertia to reform and investors turning their backs on the high returns offered by opportunities in Africa. 

The conference, whose theme was "Developing Business and Infrastructure in Africa," was reflective of similar high-profile parleys that, beyond the talk, add little value to the continent. They could be on HIV/Aids, tourism, or any of he litany of problems afflicting the region, with an accompanying wish-list of solutions to them that may be a replication of a seminar held in a far-off capital 20 years ago. 

In short, Africa's problems are known, but the solutions may not be as generic as resolutions reached after key meetings suggest. One or two illustrations are in order. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) benchmark for construction of a telephone line is $1,500 but, in a country like Kenya, operators say $600 would be adequate. For roads, the bitumen and paving standards advocated by development partners are quite expensive compared with concrete standards, which research shows are also more durable. The Kenya Tea Development Agency manages to keep roads in tea zones passable in all weather using paltry resources compared with the Ksh100 billion ($1.28b) that the government is seeking from investors. Why does resource-constrained Africa have to follow the expensive ways of the West, even when they do not suit local conditions? 

That is the question forcing the Bretton Woods institutions to review their policies on development in Africa. The proposal that privatisation policies should favour local investors was made by none other than IFC chief economist Michael Klein. That local public and private investors need to take the development challenge head on had a homely feel coming from Marc Ravalomanana, Madagascar's president. 

This perception could not have been more inspired. In Kenya, the informal sector, which relies up to 80 per cent on local resources, is the fastest growing, employing millions of people even as the government denies them hospitable working conditions. The Informal workshop will be invariably in the most unserviced section of a town, where it competes for space with effluent from formal industries and all manner of underworld dealers. 

These are the investors who need to be supported and urged on to create employment, with technical assistance on value-adding to their products taking precedence over meetings in five-star hotels. So far, only a few companies constrained to display their corporate social responsibility offer support to the Jua Kali sector as corruption and bureaucracy denies them prompt government support. 

The fickle association with foreign development partners - donors, lenders, investors - needs to steer the region's policy makers towards homegrown solutions. A motivated local industry promises more consistent and fast track gains than the reluctant overseas merchant. 
 
 

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