Africa Must Stop Outsourcing Its Ambitions – W. Gyude Moore

Africa’s development, W. Gyude Moore, China’s development model, African potential, transformative projects, Africa-China lessons, future of Africa

Last month, China approved an ambitious $140 billion hydropower project to dam the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. The project, set to generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, exemplifies China’s ability to pursue monumental projects despite environmental and diplomatic challenges. This unparalleled scale of ambition is a powerful lesson for Africa.

W. Gyude Moore, Liberia’s former Minister of Public Works, recently asserted, “There is no future for an Africa that opts to outsource its ambition.” His words resonate deeply in light of Africa’s developmental struggles and reliance on external actors to finance its infrastructure needs.

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Learning from China’s Independent Ambition

Moore points to China’s historical approach, which avoided conflating current challenges with long-term goals. Even when China relied on external capital and expertise, it never outsourced its ambitions to others. China’s ability to imagine and pursue its future independently serves as a vital lesson for Africa.

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During a visit to Chongqing, Moore experienced the high-speed rail connecting the city to Yichang in Hubei Province, a route carved through mountains and deep ravines. These are the types of projects that international institutions like the World Bank would deem unviable if proposed by African nations. Yet, China realized them without bowing to external skepticism.

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Africa’s Missed Opportunities

Moore recounts his experiences as an aide to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and later as Liberia’s Minister of Public Works. In the post-war years, Liberia sought funding for two critical projects:

  1. A four-lane highway linking Monrovia’s airport to the city.
  2. Heavy fuel oil (HFO) plants to supply electricity affordably.

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Both projects were dismissed by multilateral institutions. The highway project was deemed unnecessary due to insufficient traffic, yet traffic overwhelmed the two-lane road that was ultimately built. Similarly, partners rejected the HFO plant in favor of “totally renewable” energy, only for the World Bank to fund an HFO plant years later.

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Moore highlights a broader issue: Many infrastructure projects financed by China worldwide were initially dismissed or delayed by multilateral development banks (MDBs) or Western partners. This trend underscores the dangers of allowing external actors to dictate the scope and pace of Africa’s ambitions.

The Peril of Outsourced Ambitions

One striking example is the Grand Inga Dam project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). External stakeholders often frame the project as a solution for Africa’s electricity needs. However, Moore argues that this perspective assumes that Africa remains perpetually underdeveloped. If the DRC were to match Egypt’s per capita electricity production, the Grand Inga would barely meet its domestic demand, let alone export electricity.

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Moore emphasizes that external actors have no obligation to envision a prosperous and expansive future for Africa. Instead, they often impose limitations that align with their interests.

Reclaiming Africa’s Ambition

China’s Three Gorges Dam is a testament to the power of independent ambition. The project was first proposed between 1914 and 1919 when China was still a poor country. A century later, China’s ambitions have multiplied, demonstrating that the scale of one’s economy today does not define future potential.

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Africa must adopt this mindset. Moore warns that outsourcing Africa’s ambitions to multilateral institutions or external partners will only perpetuate poverty and underdevelopment. Instead, African nations must reclaim their vision for the future, daring to imagine and pursue transformative projects on their terms.

The Call to Action

As Moore puts it, “There is no future for an Africa that opts to outsource its ambition.” For Africa to chart a prosperous future, it must wrest control of its developmental goals from external actors and invest in bold, independent visions that prioritize the continent’s growth and self-reliance.

The time for Africa to dream big—and act even bigger—is now.


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Mohammed Amin

Amin Mohammed is a passionate business and tech blogger, as well as an AI enthusiast. Recently featured as a speaker at the 2024 African Youth in AI Summit, Amin's interest in AI stems from his curiosity about how it can revolutionize business in Africa. As a versatile professional, Amin is a Neuro-Linguistic Programmer (NLP), Author, Transformational Trainer, Public Speaker, and Master of Ceremony (MC). His YouTube channel, DTC OfficialGh, is a platform where he shares insights, stories, and interviews with entrepreneurs and successful individuals. As the Chief Executive Officer of Dreamers Transformational Consult, Amin has delivered over 70 transformational talks, mentored more than 200 individuals—from student leaders to startup business owners—organized events for 576 participants, and impacted over 10,000 lives through his speaking engagements. Amin is also the author of "Dream Of A Dreamer" and "Thoughts From A Wild Dreamer." He previously served as the Secretary for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development of the National Union of Ghana Students.

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1 Response

  1. January 20, 2025

    […] READ MORE; Africa Must Stop Outsourcing Its Ambitions – W. Gyude Moore […]

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