The Benin Rail Road Program As A Development Strategy: An Analysis in light of the UN Millennium Project.
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES.
Aboubakar YARI & Venus YARI
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Affiliation:
Biotech tropicana,IncCOMMUNICATOR.
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Abstract
By late July, 2016 the president of Benin Republic announced the opening of negotiations to re-initiate an improvement and extension program of the Benin rail way system. The program was initiated by former administration and then halted on judicial grounds. Here, we analyse the program as a development strategy in light of development principles proposed in the UN Millennium project.
Keywords: Development strategy; Sustainability; Science; Technology; Innovation.
Analysis:
The Benin rail way rehabilitation program is a clear cut demonstration of Benin republic’s failure to emerge technologically, like many other similarly situated developing countries. The Benin rail way system was constructed almost a century ago before its independence, by foreign French settlers. Almost a century later an improvement and extension program was initiated by the former administration and then halted on judicial grounds. The new administration proposes to re-initiate the program. Here, we analyse the program from a technology innovation, development and implementation perspectives. We left out political aspects of the program in our analysis.
Many countries like the Asian tigers and China that were a century ago approximately at the same level with Benin republic, in rail way building capacity have by now acquired the capacity to build rail roads. Rail roads are now built by their own citizens for their country and for foreign countries. As of the 56th anniversary of its independence Benin republic cannot build one mile of rail road. Benin republic still relies exclusively on foreign technologies to rebuild its rail road system. Our findings are true for almost all technologies. Benin republic is a small country, a big consumer of foreign technologies and almost a nil producer of technology.
The low technological capacity of many developing countries, particularly in sub Saharan Africa is a major barrier to the development of these countries. See the five structural reasons why sub Saharan Africa is lagging behind in its development, compared to other parts of the developing world (Sachs et al; in Ending Africa’s poverty trap). The United Nations millennium development project recommended to these countries to place science, technology, and innovation at the centre of development strategies. (Juma et al; in Innovation: Applying Knowledge In Development). The Biotech tropicana Systems adhere to the principles established by the UN millennium project scientific task forces.
The Biotech tropicana Systems are in the process of changing the nil producer status of Benin republic and similarly situated developing countries by bringing its modest contribution in the areas of biotechnology innovation, development, and implementation. In the course of 15 years, applying the principles recommended by scientific task forces under the United Nations millennium project, the Biotech tropicana Systems claim numerous technological innovations, many of which passed international scientific peer reviews. Our achievements in “made in the Biotech tropicana Systems” and the international recognition of our work give us the confidence to continue our work as technology producers not as mere technology consumers.
While operating from the private sector, we are proud to bring our modest contribution to the technological emergence of Benin republic and many others developing countries. We welcome the Benin new departure proposed initiative to include the establishment of a centre for science, technology, and innovation in their reform agenda. The Biotech tropicana Systems shall be opened to contribute by making its experience accessible to the Benin newly born centre. We are opened to help the Benin new innovators.
The Biotech tropicana Systems are a major player in the technological revolution of Africa, the birth place of technological innovation. We hope that all Africans will work hard and pay taxes to make that revolution successful and free the continent from a chronic dependency on foreign aid. See “Africa’s development crisis is unique. Not only is Africa the poorest region in the world, but it was also the only major developing region with negative growth in income per capita during 1980–2000”. (Sachs et al; in Ending Africa’s poverty trap). The aid for consumption driven one step forward for two steps backward strategy to generate negative development gains has no place in the Biotech tropicana Systems. Applying the strategy many developing countries including Benin Republic failed to emerge after more than 50 years of implementation. It is clear that these countries can never emerge even after 100 years of implementation of the strategy. The Benin republic may import the foreign technology to improve its transport system, but at what cost and what will be the impact of the technology transfer scheme on other sectors of development of the country in short, mid and long terms?
The Biotech tropicana Systems respect the democratic choice of each party for development strategy as long as they are applying their owned strategies within their owned systems. The Biotech tropicana Systems adhere to the new way global sustainable development concepts adopted at the dawn of the new millennium. Here we must make clear that negativity has no place in the Biotech tropicana Systems. The time of exchange of high value raw materials for low value finished products with so called development partners is over. The Biotech tropicana Systems vote “no” for this development strategy. Our vote is a clear cut “no”. See also the analysis by Sachs et al; on Africa’s management of its natural resources; (Sachs et al; in Ending Africa’s poverty trap).
Operating from the private sector, the Biotech tropicana Systems started its technological revolution since 2000. We are far on that path. As of 2016, we have a lot to show in our technological achievements toward sustainable development of the system. We hope that the late runners will catch up. We wish them good luck.
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