(July 6, 2009) According to The World Bank, it is, “a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.

(July 6, 2009) Much has been said about Ghana’s oil and the revenue that is supposed to flow into her coffers by 2010.

(July 5, 2009) Stakeholders met last week in Harare to discuss Zimbabwe’s external debt, which threatens the welfare of its citizens who have been ravaged by a deep social, economic and political crisis.

(July 4, 2009) Senator Obert Gutu, a legislator from Prime Minsiter Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party has called for an audit of the country’s debt, insisting that long-suffering tax-payers should not be made to pay for the actions of greedy and irresponsible politicians and government officials.

(July 2, 2009) The unpalatable fact is that the Republic of Zimbabwe is virtually bankrupt. As at December 1 2008, Zimbabwe’s external debt stood at US$5, 255 billion, with a current account balance of US$597 million.

(June 19, 2009). As the World Bank and the IMF drastically increase lending to countries in the developing world, local politicians are beginning to question the loans. The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNNP) recently expressed outrage over the ruling People’s Democratic Party plan to obtain a $1-billion loan from the World Bank.

(June 9, 2009) Gabon’s President Omar Bongo – the world’s longest-serving president – died today in a hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Mr. Bongo leaves behind a political legacy marred by corruption and patronage – marking a throwback to an era when Africa was ruled by “Big Men.”

(June 6, 2009) Before the end of the first period of colonialism African nations were properties of their colonial masters who did what they could to rape the continent of whatever resource they deemed good for the development of their citizens in Europe. Out of nowhere and without any consultation with the people of the African continent, the Europeans met and divided the continent amongst themselves in what has been termed ‘The Scramble for Africa’.

(May 21, 2009) Political activist and anti-corruption campaigner, Lord Aikins Adusei, is calling on Ghana’s new government to put politics aside and start initiating economic and development programs. His remarks come after the country elected a new president, John Atta Mills, in a tightly contested vote last December.

(April 24, 2009) The Gleneagles Summit, for all its good intentions, gave rise to unrealistic expectations. The heavy emphasis on aid and debt relief made Western actions appear to be chiefly responsible for poverty alleviation in Africa. In reality, the main obstacles to economic growth in Africa rest with Africa’s policies and institutions, such as onerous business regulations and weak protection of property rights.