This Week: We must all think big, act big and deliver big to develop Africa
Kelvin ESIASA
By Kelvin Esiasa
Think Big was an interventionist state economic strategy of New Zealand promoted by the Prime Minister Rob Muldoon. This strategy was arrived after New Zealand had encountered a lot of economic challenges.
The Think Big schemes saw the government borrow heavily overseas, running up a large external deficit and using the funds for large-scale industrial projects.
Think Big did have a large positive impact on New Zealand’s exports, and saved large quantities of commodity-imports through its process of import substitution.
This is exactly what Africa Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina is telling the African people to do. AFDB has asked the people of Africa to rise from their slumber and aim high for economic opportunities as well as develop their countries.
Addressing a huge gathering of heads of state, ministers, business corporates, civil society and the media in Lusaka recently, AFDB President told the gathering that Africa must think big, act big and deliver big. He explained that the AFDB had come up with a number of priority areas which meant to accelerate AFDB ambition to make Africa an economic giant.
It’s true Africa must think big, act big and aim high. This is the only way Africa would actualize its economic potential. As noted by AFDB President if Africa was to develop its people must think and aim high.
So, what does think big mean? Thinking big’ means being able to dream and visualize what you can achieve on an audacious scale: with no limits on your thinking. It is about being open-minded, positive, and creative and seeing opportunity in the big picture.
One motivational author wrote on his blog as follows “I dare you to think bigger, to act bigger, and to be bigger, and I promise you a richer and more exciting life if you do”.
Thinking big is the best thing that we should all do. We should encourage our comrades, friends and relatives to think big. We should all think big so that we achieve the best results. So the appeal by the Africa Development Bank is welcome and should be taken as a principled call.
Thinking big and setting big goals give a person a purpose to live and die for. It gives something worth pursuing. When John F. Kennedy set the goal to put a man on the moon; it became a purpose he live for and today, he’s remembered for that goal.
When the Wright brothers conceived the idea that humans could fly; it became their life’s purpose. When Christopher Columbus set the goal to sail round the world despite the risk based on the assumption that the earth is flat; it became his life purpose. Every man has a purpose on earth; but one can only discover yours if you think big.
Therefore, as we encourage each other to think big we should all unity and fight the vices that are making the African people shy away from thinking big.
Firstly, we should all work hard to make the economic environment for Africa favorable and motivating. It’s difficult to encourage Africans to think big if many of them are living in poverty. So we should all make the poverty alleviation and wealth creation a must.
As we think big and aim high we should all ensure that those with much should share with those with none. We should all unite and challenge African Presidents, Leaders and persons to serve their communities without greed. We should all join hands and stop corruption.
Lastly thinking big is an invitation to scarify for Africa and make Africa the continent of choice.
Mr.Kelvin Esiasa – President for Zambia Society for Public Administration and Society for Family Business