"Why Africa matters so much"
Lynda is a Patron of the CFCC and Chairman of Africa Matters Limited, a pan African group of advisers seeking to take investment into African businesses and keep them viable. She as been a member of the Lower and Upper Houses of the UK Parliament for over 30 years. Between 1986 – 1997 she was Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, holding responsibility for Africa and the Commonwealth and for Overeseas Developent. She was made a Life Peer in 1992.
Lynda was the first woman to be appointed first an Advisory and then a non-executive director of Unilever. She is also a non-executive director of Group Five(Pty), a member of the international advisory boards of Lafarge et Cie, MerchantBridge Ltd and Merchant International Group; and an adviser to the World Bank.
Lynda is Chairman of the Medicines for Malaria Venture, an Executive Trustee of the Global Leadership Foundation and Trustee of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa and of the Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust, as well as patron of a number of charities.
Lynda is also co-ordinator of the Honorary International Investment Council of President Yyar’Adua of Nigeria and a member of similar bodies in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Talk: Investment in Africa. What on earth is the government doing in UK for Africa?
Africa Matters is a company founded by Lynda Chalker after she left the FCO in 1997. It is about getting good investment and good prospects in Africa. Not up to date on Zimbabwe as she cannot get there.
Africa has an enormous amount of natural resources – especially Nigeria, Angola and round the West Coast. Oil has been discovered in Uganda and there is drilling in Tanzania. There are enormous opportunities if government get organised.
3G solution: Growth and Good Governance. Then you will see real change as long as there is transparency. The quality of investment is highly questionable..
Build, operate, train and transfer. But some companies don’t train and bring their own employees.
Investment in Africa has improved.
There are over 650m people in sub Saharan Africa (not the North) and many are trying to do their best for families and their country. Some government are good ie Zambia.
1 child under 5 dies every 30 seconds– through malaria – huge problem.
Stopping the spread of disease is not possible only through vaccine – we need to tackle medical issues in Africa; stopping the spread of disease is fundamental.
Primary education – now committed in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Tazania. Registrations has gone up 50 – 90 %. Education at all levels is a critical need.
NEGATIVES
1. Corruption – it takes two. Still American companies are brown-sacking their way into contracts as are the Chinese. They find excuses to buy their way into Africa. Big effort needed to try and stop this. Mostly it goes into pockets of politicians. Every government has to ct transparently and accountably.
2. Counterfeit goods. Imported usually from Asia and China: cds, dvds and more dangerously – food, creams and medicines. Fake insulin has killed people. 80% of medicine is counterfeit.
Substandard concrete – too much sand and in one case a whole school fell down.
Windscreens claiming to be shatterproof flood the market and are counterfeit.
Kiwi show polish – the 40mg size in Tanzania is a counterfeit.
By golly there is a lot to doAfrica is a continent of enormous variety: cultural, artistic ability but we don’t know the half of it. Lynda has been travelling since 1980 and people have been welcoming, engaging and she has seen some changes for the better.