The importance of infrasructure
I have just come back from two weeks of blissful holiday in idyllic Mozambique. A recommended trip for anyone needing a break.
What struck me, though, was the work that is going on to fix and upgrade the infrastructure, which took such a battering during the civil war. Of the 600 or so kilometres that we drove, only about 100 were really shocking, and the rest was brilliant. This is a far cry from what it was even just five years ago, and what it means is that Mozambicans are now able to transact with each other, which means that the economy can start working.
It really is so important that roads, rail, harbours, airports and the like actually work, and preferrably work well, so that business can be done across the country and people in far flung areas can be brought into the mainstream local, regional and global economies. It is a lesson to Africans everywhere who want to move the continent into a better future - get your infrastructure working, and then the people with natural ingenuity will get the economy working.
Another striking feature was the number of brand new and renovated schools across the country, bringing education into every little town. This shows that the country is focussing on making sure that they have more people with natural ingenuity who will be able to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the upgraded infrastructure.