15 quotes on growth in Africa

Jan 21, 2015

Ross Chainey

Content Lead, UpLink, World Economic Forum

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Economic Progress

Below are key quotes from the Davos 2015 session Achieving Africa’s Growth Agenda, featuring Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, Oscar Onyema, CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Bronwyn Nielsen, Senior Anchor and Executive Director, CNBC Africa, John G. Coumantaros, Chairman, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.

Some of the quotes were condensed for publication on Twitter.

20150121-onyema-01-19x10-Meme

We haven’t seen any African country talk about recession – Onyema #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Africa has decided to take matters of instability into its own hands – @SAPresident #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

African problems should have African solutions – @SAPresident #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

2050, Nigeria is going to be as big as the United States – John Coumantaros #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Beg, borrow, steal, Africa needs to build infrastructure – Sunil Bharti Mittal #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Access to capital is one of biggest challenges for businesses in Africa – Onyema #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

We’ve used aid to build capacities so we won’t need aid in future – @paulkagame #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Rwanda is not over needing aid, but we can survive with less aid than before – @paulkagame #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15

— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

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Infrastructure is key, but also how it’s used, and that’s political – @paulkagame #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Moving container from Kigali to Mombasa used to take 22 days, now it takes 6 days – @paulkagame #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Skills are expensive in Africa, best people are on American salaries – Sunil Bharti Mittal #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Once we have the infrastructure in Africa, it should not be blocked by borders – @SAPresident #equalgrowth http://t.co/05kKxobEjG #wef15 — World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 21, 2015

Image: Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and Oscar Onyema, CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, are captured at the congress centre during the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 21, 2015. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Jolanda Flubacher

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