‘Africa Must Stop Exporting Raw Materials, Start Creating Wealth’ — Kouyateh
By Matthew Eloyi
Pan-African statesman and Liberian senior diplomat, Amb. Sheikh Al-moustapha Kouyateh, has called on African countries to embrace critical thinking, creative problem-solving and strategic decision-making as essential tools for transforming their economies and improving the lives of their citizens.
Kouyateh made the call while addressing students and young leaders at the Leadership & Public Speaking Academy on August 8, 2026, where he stressed that the progress of nations is not determined by luck but by the quality of decisions taken by their leaders and citizens.
According to him, African countries, particularly those facing limited resources and complex challenges, must develop the capacity to diagnose problems correctly, design practical solutions and execute strategies capable of producing measurable results.
“Because Liberia does not only need ideas. Liberia needs decisions that produce results,” he declared.
The senior diplomat identified three critical decision-making skills: critical thinking, creative problem-solving and strategic decision-making, which he said should form the foundation of effective leadership and national development.
He explained that critical thinking involves distinguishing facts from opinions, evidence from rumours and long-term strategy from short-term emotions.
Kouyateh warned young people against making important decisions based on popular opinion or trends without first examining the evidence and determining whether such choices would help them develop meaningful skills and achieve their goals.
He said creative problem-solving required Africans to move beyond conventional approaches and develop solutions suited to their realities, particularly in areas such as employment, skills development, access to training and the high cost of basic goods resulting from excessive dependence on imports.
The diplomat also emphasised the importance of including women and persons with disabilities in development processes, arguing that their experiences and perspectives could strengthen the quality of solutions designed to address societal challenges.
“Women and persons with disabilities are not ‘afterthoughts’ in development,” he said, stressing that inclusion should be viewed as an important component of effective problem-solving.
On strategic decision-making, Kouyateh said governments and institutions must learn to determine what should be done first, what should follow, how programmes would be funded, how progress would be measured and how initiatives could be sustained.
He identified inadequate systems, weak training pipelines, poor oversight, insufficient accountability and inconsistent funding as some of the factors that could turn development efforts into mere activities without measurable progress.
Drawing from historical examples including the Marshall Plan, Singapore and South Korea’s industrial transformation, he argued that successful national transformation requires disciplined planning, execution and long-term commitment.
Kouyateh further introduced the African Peoples’ Movement (APM), describing it as a non-racial Pan-African organisation established to promote African unity, responsible leadership and the transformation of the continent’s raw materials into finished products.
He said Africa could increase revenue, create jobs and improve the welfare of its people by developing industries capable of processing local resources rather than exporting raw materials for others to add value.
The diplomat linked the APM’s vision to what he described as “Dangotization”—a transformation model centred on converting raw materials into finished or higher-value products, building local value chains and expanding productive capacity so that wealth remains within African economies and benefits the people.
He said the approach required African countries to critically examine their dependence on imports, identify where economic value was being lost and address barriers to industrialisation, including energy, logistics, capital, skills and governance.
According to him, industrial transformation must also involve the training of young people, women and persons with disabilities for meaningful industrial employment, while partnerships among governments, businesses and communities should be strengthened to ensure sustained production.
Kouyateh, however, stressed that economic transformation could not be achieved without a strong human foundation built around reconciliation, empowerment, accountability and development.
He argued that reconciliation was necessary for rebuilding trust and creating an environment in which citizens could focus on solving problems rather than living in fear and bitterness.
He also called for the empowerment of young people to learn and work, women to participate fully in leadership and development, and persons with disabilities to enjoy dignity, access and meaningful inclusion.
“Reconciliation + Empowerment + Accountability + Development is not extra. It is the engine,” he said.
Kouyateh concluded by urging Liberia’s students and young people to take responsibility for the country’s future by developing better decision-making habits.
“Think critically. Solve creatively. Decide strategically,” he told the young audience, stressing that Liberia’s future would be shaped by a generation capable of making decisions that translate ideas into measurable development outcomes.
