DIPLOMATIC CORNER WITH MOHAMMED BASAH
Diplomacy as a component of international relations has often played an underrated but critical role in economic development . While politicians and activists have always been in the frontline , getting all the credit and media attention , diplomats have carried on the work of advocating for the interests of their mother countries without seeking for personal glory . Since no nation exists in isolation , not even the literal islands , PR Times Africa continues to seek out these quiet revolutionaries and put them under the spotlight , highlighting the key role that the diplomat plays in development . All nations , regardless of where they find themselves on the development continuum , need the cooperation and partnership of other nations in order to make progress . In this edition we highlight a number of key relationships in Africa ’ s largest market , Nigeria , taking a look at their history and the opportunities that exist therein as well as the challenges to better exploiting these inherent opportunities . The consensus is that Africa can do more in terms of trading within its component countries , in order to rev up the engine of African renaissance , because the rebirth of Africa as the birth-place of human civilization and education can only take place in Africa driven by Africans themselves . The bonds that hold us together as a continent must be strengthened , while our differences must be seen as an advantage rather than a reason for squabbles , because the dynamism of our continent gives us a diverse pool of human and economic resources to tap from .
24 | PRTIMES AFRICA MARCH 2016