Mo Ibrahim
Businessman
1946-05-03
Quotes by Mo Ibrahim
-
When I was young, there was only one TV channel, sponsored by the government, and it only broadcast things like what the leader had for breakfast. There was no real media.
Read quote -
If economic progress is not translated into better quality of life and respect for citizens' rights, we will witness more Tahrir Squares in Africa.
Read quote -
I don't subscribe to the narrative that Africa is backward because of colonialism.
Read quote -
Rwanda really did take very strong steps towards development. I mean, this place is unrecognizable. There's a very good management of economy and resources - it's a success story, and that's great.
Read quote -
If Sudan starts to crumble, the shock waves will spread.
Read quote -
Sudan has been an experiment that resonated across Africa: if we, the largest country on the continent, reaching from the Sahara to the Congo, bridging religions, cultures and a multitude of ethnicities, were able to construct a prosperous and peaceful state from our diverse citizenry, so too could the rest of Africa.
Read quote -
The problem is that many times people suspend their common sense because they get drowned in business models and Harvard business school teachings.
Read quote -
Remember, 2000 was the year of the dot-com bust. The telecom industry lost about $2 trillion in market capital at that time.
Read quote -
Tony Blair is paid $500,000 for one speech, and no one asks how he is going to spend it.
Read quote -
Literacy in Tunisia is almost 100%. It's amazing - no country in the region or even in Asia can match Tunisia in education.
Read quote -
Electoral turnout is falling among the young, and political apathy is on the rise.
Read quote -
In a world of growing food demand, Africa is home to two-thirds of the world's unexploited arable land.
Read quote -
Business people get many undeserved prizes - golden parachutes and bonuses even when companies fail. I don't think people should get rewarded for screwing up.
Read quote -
We cannot expect loyalty to an unjust regime.
Read quote -
I need to be free, to speak the unspeakable. You can't do that in office.
Read quote -
Experience shows that when political governance and economic management diverge, overall development becomes unsustainable.
Read quote -
Challenging vested interests requires a government's full commitment.
Read quote -
Africa is progressing but maybe not in the way you think it is. Even if the overall picture looks good, we must all remain vigilant and not get complacent.
Read quote -
Intimidation, harassment and violence have no place in a democracy.
Read quote -
Compared to developed countries, or even to some major emerging countries, burdened by aging populations, financial crises, widening budget deficits, faltering faith in politics and growing social demands, Africa has become the world's last 'New Frontier:' a kind of 'it-continent.'
Read quote