Dr. Sylvanus Ayeni Releases News Book 'Rescue Thyself'

Why has foreign aid failed to alleviate poverty and promote development and economic growth in Africa? A newly-released book, Rescue Thyself: Change In Sub-Saharan Africa Must Come From Within, examines this thorny question boldly and holistically. In the past fifty to sixty years, more than $1 trillion in foreign aid have gone to Africa. Despite this largesse and the multitude of foreign experts in many disciplines made available to these nations, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world's poorest region.

The book is an in-depth and bold "conversation" with several audiences including government policy makers, the foreign aid community and Africans in the continent and the Diaspora. The author strongly suggests that there should be significant rethinking of the open-ended "giving" approach of many of the donors, including the rich and developed nations of the world. Sure, the donors are very passionate about alleviating the suffering of the populations in these nations. However, they should demand more accountability, transparency, honest governance and true commitment to the rule of law from the leaders of these nations.

The most formidable barriers to progress and development in many of the nations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are Sub-Saharan African leaders who have presided over the decimation of the subcontinent. Some of these nations certainly need help. But first, they must start helping themselves. Several possible solutions are proposed, all anchored on a new type of leadership, quality education, superb infrastructure, respect for the rule of law, and a different strategy by the donors.

The murderous activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria, Niger and Chad, including the abduction of hundreds of female students in North Eastern Nigeria and the 2014 - 2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa have been well publicized. Recently, the UN says it needs $1.4 billion to help refugees escaping conflict and famine in South Sudan. The country has been embroiled in a catastrophic civil war since 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his deputy, Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Now, nearly 2 million South Sudanese are seeking refuge in neighboring countries. These are three examples of the disasters that plagued and continue to inflict pain and suffering on the people in the sub-continent.

These situations, plus the destitution in many of the other nations of SSA, all make it imperative that a blunt, deep analysis and discussion of the failure of these nations should take place. While the agony in most of these nations affects the majority of the population, the children, the youth, and the elderly have been particularly impacted.

The book is a comprehensive and rather provocative examination of the calamitous state of most of the nations of SSA; written by someone born in Africa, and educated there from primary school to medical school. He has also been involved in development issues in the sub-continent for many years, mainly in the education and healthcare sectors.

No amount of foreign aid to these poor-performing nations will reverse the poverty in the region unless there is significant improvement in the performance of the leadership. The case is also made that Sub-Saharan Africans have been bequeathed with all the tools needed, i.e., human and natural resources, to develop their nations. Thus, they need not continue the culture of dependency on the rest of the human race.

Available at online outlets including amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, rowman.com and some bookstores.
RescueThyself: Change in Sub-Saharan Africa Must Come From Within
By Dr. Sylvanus Ayeni
Publisher: Hamilton Books
Language: English
April 2017
ISBN-10: 0761868917
ISBN-13: 978-0761868910