David Lammy is right about Africa (but wrong to make it about skin colour)

David Lammy is the worst sort of politician - lots of sound and fury, avalanches of slogans pretending to be wisdom, and a complete absense of any considered or measured assessment. You only have to watch how he attacked, without any evidence, the police over the Grenfell tower tragedy to understand the basis of Lammy's politics. And at the heart of everything from him is race - it is always (sometimes hilariously) about black or white.

The problem with this is that, when there's an underlying truth in something Lammy says, his painting it black and white means we lose sight of that truth - here's an example in a Tweet:

The world does not need any more white saviours. As I've said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let's instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.

I pretty much agree with what Lammy is saying here - our portrayal of Africa is trapped in images of semi-naked black children, in the memory of Live Aid, and in the pictures drawn by aid charities touting for cash. Through agencies like Oxfam, and our faux-virtuous obsession with international aid we perpetuate the idea that, without our help, Africa will not 'develop'. But it is not about the colour of anyone's skin, its about how we in the developed world perceive Africa.

The problem is that the 'help' we've given Africa has, in large measure, led to the problems people there face. After 100 years of exploitative colonialism we left and gave Africans socialism which when applied in Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia resulted in more poverty, starvation and death. In other places it led to hyperinflation and economic collapse. As noble ex-colonialists we then galloped in to the rescue with aid programmes designed to allow subsistence agriculture - the hard, brutish and short life too many Africans endure - to continue. What we didn't do was point Africans at what it was that made us rich (and is making the Koreans, Chinese and Indonesians rich too) - open markets, enterprise, free trade and the idea of business.

Today, despite the best efforts of us in the west, African countries - some of them at least - are turning themselves round in that proven capitalist manner - six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa with Ghana and Ethiopia topping the pile. It's true that Africa still faces problems - the persistence of insect-carried disease, the scourge of AIDS - but it's biggest problem is still the stupidity of government:

The number of people paying the tax for sites listed as “Over the Top ” (OTT) – chosen by the government because they offer voice and messaging services – fell by 1.2 million.

The value of mobile money transactions also fell by almost a quarter, to 14.8tn Ugandan shillings (£3.4bn) between June and September.

So I agree with Lammy that, instead of British celebrities (even celebrity investigative journalists) indulging in poverty tourism we should perhaps use the occasion of a national telethon to get Africans to tell their success stories. Step through the marketing-speak here to see that, given a chance, business is thriving - and African business sounds just like business everywhere, driven, exictable, enthusiastic:

3 Wise Pixels (3WP) is a creative technology company dedicated to reimagining Nigeria’s digital landscape through curated technology and bespoke design. Based in Lagos, the company mirrors the ever-evolving landscape of the continent’s largest city – rapid growth, innovation, targeted problem-solving and distinct overtones of a rich cultural identity. 3WP champions innovation and authenticity at its core, resulting in a creative yet highly functional hybrid approach that cuts through the noise and congestion of the modern world.

This is where Africa's future lies and what we should be saying isn't "have some aid money" but rather "how can we help your businesses". Plus, I hope, helping resolve Africa's biggest challenges - set out clearly by the guys from 3WP:

Most of the risks we face come from the unstable political landscape in Nigeria. A lack of proper basic utilities like clean water, steady electricity, and waste management (to name a few) all contribute to a very tough living situation, which affects the physical and mental health of employer and employee alike. Not to mention the lacklustre education system, poor public transport solutions and even poorer roads, and the corruptible government agencies that oversee these things.

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