10/6/2005
World Bank Chief To Visit Sub-Saharan Africa

The new head of the World Bank, Dr Paul Wolfowitz will make his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa later this month at a time that he calls "a unique moment of opportunity, when Africa can begin to become a continent of hope." The bank president will be visiting four countries: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, and South Africa. "I think those four reflect some of the diversity of sub-Saharan Africa, but by no means all," said Dr Wolfowitz.

Given the importance, size and influence of Nigeria and South Africa, he felt it important to get their perspective early on. "The Bank has a unique role to play in Africa, and there is a unique need for the Bank in Africa," he said. He said he hoped to learn from the leaders of the region, whose 300 million people formed roughly half the population who live on less than half a dollar a day.

Africa needed a holistic approach to development, he said. "I think development assistance is important, but by itself it's not going to do the job. And what is encouraging to me is that many of those other pieces are in place and I think that makes a case for more development assistance, not less."

He said he drew hope from the fact that African governments had learned that they had to take responsibility for delivering results and had come to recognise that development could not be successful if development aid was siphoned off by corrupt officials. The willingness of several governments, especially the Nigerian Government, to confront the issue of corruption in a very brave way was an important part of the picture, Dr. Wolfowitz said.