This proverb from the Wolof tongue is quite deep: the best words give no food. It reminds us the limits of theories when the latter are not tested. It also reminds us to be careful with people or institutions that promise the paradise to African countries, provided they do this or that.
It is in the interest of Africans themselves to develop their own economic theories and economic models, based on their realities. Thus they must test these theories and adjust them accordingly based on the experience from the ground. And in order not to waste too much time conceiving knew models that may not work, it would be wise to refer to the past as a guideline, but not as an absolute or religious truth inscribed in a holy stone.
This is why it is important to listen to the elders, those who are still living in villages because African villages may still hold ideas and a powerful ancestral legacy that can better prepare Africans to become the masters of their destiny.
