2. GIDEON NWANKWO - 2ND PLACE WINNER
HARNESSING AFRICA’S MINERAL RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 1.0 Introduction Once upon a time, the richest human being in all history lived in Africa. He went by the name Mansa Musa and he ruled over the Malian Empire in the 13 th century. Mansa’s wealth came from mining salt and gold deposits in the Malian kingdom. He developed ancient cities like Timbuktu and transformed the Malian empire into a sophisticated centre of attraction. But where is that Mali today? She is standing pathetically among the least developed nations in the dark corner of global ignominy extending her arms desperately for aids from foreigners. Just like Mali, several African countries are endowed with substantial amount of mineral resources that have not translated to improved standard of living for the larger population – a situation which conventional literatures termed “resource curse.” This essay examines the causes of this unfortunate situation and proffers strategic solutions that ...