China-offered opportunities must be utilized by African nations to boost economic growth: Expert

One expert recently said that the African nations need to use opportunities that China presents to enhance economic growth in the continent.

According to Lawrence Banda, the Universal Peace Federation (Zambia Chapter) Vice Secretary General, many African countries have adequate natural resources but do not have the capacity to exploit them. That's the reason, what Banda said, the continent is lacking economic development.

"We have the natural resources and China has the technology that can help transform our economies. So let us encourage more of our people to enter into partnership with Chinese companies," Banda said. According to him, much of Africa remains underdeveloped because of lack of investment in key sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, Xinhua noted.

He said such challenges should not stop African nations from realizing their economic goals as there exist ways of addressing them. "Things like setting up a manufacturing plant require huge capital investment which many countries may not have and partnerships exist to address such challenges," he added.

He also emphasized the need to have exchange programs with China, saying that China's ability to register economic wonders in record time is something that proponents of development consider a marvel. Banda believes that exchange programs help to, among many things boost economies as they serve as platforms for exchanging innovative ideas. "We need to learn what makes them to be so hard working, loyal and result-oriented and use the knowledge to better ourselves," he cited, as reported by Xinhua.

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