Ethiopia is a good example to African countries with regard to pursuing home-grown economic policy and strategies that are free from the dominance of developed countries, a renowned African policy scholar said.
In an emailed interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Political Economy Professor at Nairobi University, Michael Chege stated that the policies and strategies of many African countries are still under the dominance of ex-colonial powers and other developed countries.
Professor Chege noted that Ethiopia formulated a Homegrown Economic Reform Plan by taking into consideration its objective reality and adapting the experiences of a few countries. The economic reform is instrumental to sustainably resolve the socio-economic problems the country has been facing over years.
According to him, amidst the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Ethiopia has managed to register continuous economic growth that surpassed many African countries after it started implementing home-grown economic strategy which is based on the problem of its people.
The scholar pointed out that through the policy change it introduced, the country, which was in the unsatisfactory level in terms of infrastructure, peace and stability, and human resource development, has become a model.
Chege expressed his optimism that home-grown economic philosophy Ethiopia has been pursuing could enable the country to solve its age-old problems. “Africans cannot fulfill their dreams of attaining democracy, development and good governance unless they stop adjusting their policies to those of the developed world.”
To him, African policies and strategies, not ideas copied from Westerners, would solve its problems. In addition to emulating the developed countries way of development and relating it its own reality, Ethiopia is also in a better position than other African countries in strengthening the capacity of continental and regional organizations, including the AU.
“The success Ethiopia has been registering is a manifestation of the infectiveness of being solely relied on development model of the developed countries,” the expert said, adding that Ethiopia could be referred as a good example for those African countries that believe that change cannot come outside the thinking of the developed world.
The professor further highlighted that nations can solve their problems only when they integrate local knowledge and philosophies with international experiences, and not by directly implementing the policies of the developed countries. Ethiopia has been solving its age-long complex problems as it implemented tough policies.
Other African countries need to follow Ethiopia’s home-grown economic policy, in particular its strategies in infrastructure, industry, health, and human resource development that have brought change, Chege remarked.
The Ethiopian herald December 13/2020