Editor, Reference is made to Adam Kyamatare’s article, “Africa has the greatest entrepreneurs” (The New Times, February 17). I have been out of Africa, both physically and in mind, for over 40 years. Now with totally “new eyes” and re-immersed in almost a new socio-cultural environment, I earnestly concur with the view that “The need of the African population is to gain the skills to take advantage of what is already there”. Contrary to all those poverty-mongers, pursuing whatever egoistic purposes, the author rightly reminds us that, like in all other lands on earth, Africa is a continent of plenty. What lacking is, indeed, “the skills to take advantage of what is already there”. But, again, what kind of skills? And how best to harness these and put them to the advantage of the African people first? By now, we relatively know in what and how to train skilled labour, skilled technicians, and skilled managers. As for entrepreneurship, there seems to be no skills specifically developed yet to improve on natural talent or “vocation” of Africans. In my view, here lies a more urgent prior need to be satisfied. Then, naturally will follow a flourishing, more enlightened entrepreneurship that will build “new markets and innovating new practices”. François-Xavier Nziyonsenga, Rwanda
