He who talks the talk must walk the walk. Our Malawi.

When thinking about our country of Malawi, innovation is not usually the first thing that comes to mind, but we do have the potential, just not yet harnessed. Being one of the poorest nations around the globe with a heavy reliance upon traditional agriculture, one could be forgiven if they thought that Malawi was still living in a past, but yet we all know the great potential our people have. We know our future can be one to be admired globally, but for now work needs to be done. 

This is not solely the fault of our politicians, past and present. In fact, I believe that our colonial past has got a lot to do with what we have experienced and with what we are still experiencing today. Yet however, while we would do well to recognise that our past is still affecting us in the present, we cannot be content with using the past as a justification for future plights and troubles. As Algernon Sidney had stated, God helps those who help themselves. And we have somewhat stalled our efforts when it comes to helping ourselves.

We must make sure therefore that this process is re-ignited at once. And in re-igniting this process, we must also keep it ongoing. Yet how does one sustain such a process in the long run? The answer, in my view is both simple and uncomplicated, and it is: by using what we have. And what does Malawi have? Well, our flag would be the first thing that comes to mind.

My sentiments on the flag, are just mere sentiments to arouse a train of thought or debate as for some what is to follow has its critics and promoters. 

Although at first glance it sounds ridiculous, there are various benefits that a flag by itself brings to the table. One of these things is a collection of registers. Registers both when it comes to the aviation and the maritime sectors, even if Malawi is like Liberia, considerably poor, and like Switzerland a landlocked country. These facts however stopped neither of these two countries from having a successful national maritime register, thereby resulting in economic growth. In Liberia’s case the economic turnover from the shipping industry is in the millions of US Dollars per year. And therefore, if domestic circumstances did not stop Liberia, why should they stop us Malawians? Make no mistake about it, investing in such registers does not require us to undertake investments in ships or aircraft, but rather solely to charge ship and aircraft owners a fee in order for them to be able to fly our flag! 

National spacecraft registers are also a thing that is being openly discussed in a number of countries. However how can such registers help Malawi and Malawian people? For a start, having attractive aircraft, ship and spacecraft registration options would make Malawi a more favourable jurisdiction. Favourable terms would mean more registrations which would then result in more revenue for our Government.

One would then be able to invest this revenue in a number of sectors, the first of which should in my opinion be infrastructure. It is a well-known fact in development economics that when a Government spends money on infrastructure, it always gets a higher return on investment than the amount it invested.

Better infrastructure would then hopefully lead to more renewable energy projects in Malawi, enabling our farmers to develop proper irrigation systems, thereby making our farms more efficient. Increased efficiency would then increase our potential for research and innovation in the agricultural sector. New agricultural techniques can be developed and tested in Malawi. And the ones that work, can be taken on board by other countries.

Before we arrive to this however, we must make sure that we have the right expertise to embark on such ambitious projects. Moreover, we must make sure that all Malawians who are able to contribute, do so without hesitation. Malawians who like myself were educated both locally and abroad, must recognise that they must be catalysts of change by utilising good migration as opposed to bad migration. And by good migration what I mean is that the skills and education gained from abroad should be invested back home, and not invested in places where they are not needed.

Therefore, the first thing that we have to do is to tackle the brain drain that has been plaguing our country for the last years. Although I myself am comfortable living and working abroad, I very much believe that we must all make sacrifices if we are to move forward as a nation. He who talks the talk must walk the walk, the saying goes. And that is what I shall be doing in the coming months.

About the author: James Woods, a Malawi national, is an award-winning African achiever with significant experience dealing with governance issues, reputation management, strategic media, and communications. He has served as a communications advisor to two African countries; worked in the diplomatic field; The Mo Ibrahim Foundation; Navigate Response and has consulted for numerous international entities such as Ras Al Khaimah Gas and Surestream Petroleum.

He holds a Bachelor Degree with Honours in Politics, Philosophy and History; A Master of Science in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science; Executive Leadership Programme at Sa?d Business School, University of Oxford; Certificate in Global Diplomacy, School of Oriental and African Studies joint programme with the University of London; Executive Programme in Shipping Economics, Investment and Finance from CASS Business School and Baltic Exchange and has undergone Diplomatic Training; and Crisis Communication and Management training at the Clingendael Institute of International Relations in The Netherlands.

E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.ajafrica.com