AFRICA AND STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: MORE AID OR MORE TRADE?

In the current paper, we examine contrasting views in literature on Africa's development strategies. Unlike past studies, the current paper is an empirical investigation based on new facts and data compiled from the transformed environment of investigated problem. The results-viewed in context of new realities surrounding the problem: (1) the on-going realignment of international relationships among nations; (2) the increasing effectiveness of trade compared to the increasing "politicization" of aid; (3) and the growth-stifling eligibility requirements being demanded by international creditors and donors-lead us to conclude that while African countries may well approach both international aid and external trade as complementary, alternative development vehicles, they would be much better off mounting endeavor to strengthen their trading position with the rest of the world, while they view international aid as no more than a supplementary development tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]