Interviews with the Invisible: The Ivory Coast Businessman

Today the site proudly goes international with an interview of a businessman from the Ivory Coast. Wilfried Kohou is a young self made businessman from the Ivory Coast who has dropped by tell us about the upheaval his country is going through (they currently have two Presidents as the old one who lost re-elections refuses to step down), why the media is spending so much time in Egypt/Libya but rarely mentions Ivory Coast, and if Obama’s election has inspired him.

1. Hi Wil, I haven’t really seen you since you became a father, so congratulations on that. Now that you have a son, is it pretty great to be able to point to a black President in the United States with such strong ties to Africa? Do you think Obama is a role model for young men growing up in the Ivory Coast?

Wil: First I would like to say thank you for the opportunity and tell you how honored I am. Indeed being a father is beyond anything we can imagine, it is a great step up and I love it. The election of President Obama to the presidency of the greatest nation on earth is great, it sends out a pretty powerful signal to anyone who thinks that he/she cannot get to the highest point because of one’s skin color. Life is a little more complicated than that, our future belongs to us and our only actions will tell us how far we can go not how we were born, something obviously that is beyond our control so this is the message that Pres. Obama send to young men in Africa particularly my son.

2. How much of a role model is Obama for you yourself? From the perspective of a successful African businessman like yourself, is his election inspirational?

Wil: I am still working on being successful so it is in progress, but like I said before, Pres. Obama is a role model to all of us and I hope to one day even accomplish one tenth of what he has accomplished in life.

3. As little as five years ago when we were lounging around Auburn University could you have ever thought it possible that America would have a guy like Barack Obama as President or you yourself would be doing so well with your own company?

Wil: Seriously man, I did not. I remember telling my ex at the time, that she should vote for him even though both of us were convinced that he would not win. We hoped he did but we really did not think America was ready for a black President. As far as my company is concerned, I did not think I would be successful and definitely not involved in the business of renewable energy. So I am blessed and thank God everyday for it. 

4. That being said, has Obama increased awareness of Africa even slightly? He has been somewhat hands off in African policy, is that a little disappointing?

Wil: Well, Pres. Obama although an inspiration to Africans everywhere still remains the president the United States, and as such his first  worries are preserving the interests of the United States so I would not say that I am disappointed. I think he is doing what he should be doing. He met some African young leaders at the white house last year which was great and has kept in places programs like PEPFAR which are greatly helping people with HIV in Africa so am not disappointed. 

5. Why do you think the United States is so obsessed with the Middle East and virtually ignores Africa even though parts of it are just as rich in natural resources? Is the strong presence of England and France in Africa a factor?

Wil: You’ve hit it brother! France and England are definitely a factor. People like me try to increase the US’s role in Africa each day because we do think the US has the best democratic system. The system of check and balance is amazing, the US constitution is by far one of the greatest documents ever written, and I believe there is a lot we can learn from the USA. We can also learn on what has not worked so we can do it better but bottom line we have to get closer to the US. As far the middle east, when it comes to OIL they have more than us now because there has been more exploration done there. The Middle East is a strategic region as it is literally at the center of the earth and anything that happens there has an incidence on life in the US. Take just the oil, any problem in Egypt or Saudi Arabia is going to make prices skyrocket because it either affects drilling or transportation of the crude, so anything happening there is likely to affect the supply chain, and that my friend is bad for everyday living because it can have an effect on inflation back in the states or any nation dependant on middle eastern oil.

6. Has the strong hand France has often displayed in the Ivory Coast a generally good thing or has it had a negative impact on the people of The Ivory Coast?

Wil: There is not a black or white answer to this, it is grayer. Indeed it has been good because it made Ivory Coast prosper beyond anything our parents could imagine. It brought stability and that as Gl. Colin Powell said during a conference is good for investments. Stability is not only political but also monetary, our currency has been strongly pegged to the French francs and now to the euro, so this has been good also to investors. When it comes to the bad, well we have grown too accustomed to the French way of life even though it is not good for us. We have the same law system (exactly line by line). We were given the opportunity to fly with our wings because everything we did was through the French. The new generation of African leaders like me do not like that. Some might say that it is because I studied in the US but I don’t believe in Socialism and I open we have a society that mirrors the US and free market and corruption free.

7. This interview section is interviewing people that are typically “invisible” to most media. At times it seems like the entire continent of Africa could be called the “invisible continent” because of how little attention is paid to that area worldwide. Why do you think that is?

Wil: Well, the media is so bias when it comes to Africa. They only talk about us only when something bad happens. I would like for them to talk about the young entrepreneur in a village who comes up with an idea for a better life for his people. The only positive program in the US that I liked to watch was “inside Africa” on CNN, I think that program was the best at portraying both the bad and the good. The other reason we are so “invisible” is also due to fact that we do not take part heavily in Global trade. The only things we sell are our natural resources/commodities and that is wrong because we can sell so much. We need to modernise it, get involved in manufacturing for this we have to have peace and stability, then economic policies that encourage more investments, am thinking of free trade agreements with bigger nations like the US and the EU.

8. There are a lot of parallels between Mubarak (the Egyptian President who just stepped down) and the President of Ivory Coast who refuses to step down even after he lost re-election. Why is the media paying so much more attention to one than the other?

Wil: Well it is understandable, one is the leader of Egypt a country more powerful than Ivory Coast, a country extremely strategic to the US because of the Suez Canal and its relationship with Israel and we all know how important Israel is and also the world’s 10th military power. So that explains it. 

9. Could the revolution in Egypt turn sour and have thugs that are even worse take over? It generally seems that revolutions in the Middle East and parts of Africa have someone make promises they can’t deliver and then refuse to step down five years later when the people ask them to. What would be your best guess at where Egypt is headed?

Wil: You are right brother and it sucks because they all turn out that way. I am proud that the Egyptian people were mature enough to handle this in such an orderly way and it should be an example to everyone going down this path. But I do hope that we don’t have another Mubarak or worse leaders who are extremists and bring the country backward many, many years. But I remain optimistic about it and I hope Egypt will be headed for the better. 

10. To me it seems like the IMF is a type of third world loan shark that lets African nations rack up debts they can never repay and then takes their natural resources as “repayment.” What is your take on organizations like that and the World Bank which generally favors industrial powers over African countries in trade agreements? Also, big companies are trying to privatize as much of Africa as they can get their hands on even if water for people goes sky high, what do you make of this economic exploitation?

Wil: See I tend to not blame others for my shortcomings. If I fail at something I tend to only blame myself. So having said that I blame our leaders who agree to take out those loans in the first place because at the end of the day the IMF and the World Bank have a board and they cannot be in the business of losing money. In Africa we usually think short term and that led us into being heavily in debt and having no choice but to listen to the IMF and the World Bank. I still remember the devastating effects of the so called “Structural adjustments programs” in the 90s. Basically we only have to count on ourselves, no one else will improve Africa but us and that is the main reasons why I always tell Africans who have been successful in the US to come back home and apply what they have learned. 

11. Recently there was a news story that also didn’t receive much attention about an African boy (his mother was from Liberia) in Atlanta getting horrifically bullied and murdered by African American boys in Atlanta. Do you sometimes feel that Africans in the US cannot just expect racism from white people but also from African Americans?

Wil: I think it is important not to generalize. I try my best not to do that because it is the easiest way out and it comes second nature. I do not know the contest but I will never let the actions a few ignorant people affect the majority. Same thing if I was the victim of the KKK, not all whites believe in the KKK and I should know that better than anyone. So although this story is tragic, I do not think we should let that guide our interactions with each other. Obviously I hope the people who did this are punished according to the federal hate laws if it’s been proven that hate has taken place.

12. Is it frustrating to spend time in the US where the knowledge of being black is Atlanta (Alpha) to Oakland (Omega) and people may not be aware of the difference between African Americans and Africans? What is the biggest misconception people have about Africa? Then about the Ivory Coast specifically?

Wil: Yes you are right ask any African in the US and I think they will agree. The most frustrating experience is when people think we live in trees and that Africa is one big country. Misconceptions about Ivory Coast, I would not know because most Americans don’t even know where the Ivory Coast is. 

13. Compare the business culture in America with the business culture in Ivory Coast, in what ways are they most different and what similarities would surprise people?

Wil: Differences are when it comes to corruption, easy access to capital, good regulations and the fact that the government is always trying to fight big monopolies. In Ivory Coast, you might find yourself competing with the government for more business. So everything is different but we are fighting strongly to change that and it is changing. That is why I believe more Ivorian students should go study in the US and bring that free market mindset back here.

When it comes to similarities, well we are all looking for the same thing: PROFIT for our businesses. 

14. Also, tell us a little about working for a major corporation in San Francisco (where you once worked) and now working for yourself in Africa, and really across the world? What advice would you give to people interested in starting their own business?

Wil: Well I loved it because I learned a lot and it help shape my character but working for oneself is the best thing one can do, so I love it even more. There is a certain pride and I don’t care if you don’t make enough money at the beginning, because you will eventually. You just have to believe in yourself and go for it and don’t ever listen to people who are trying to discourage you as long as you believe you can make it that’s all that matter.

15. Describe the mood in the Ivory Coast before these controversial elections and the mood now? How has the average Ivoirian’s life changed? Has the election made some businesses hesitant to do business with an Ivory Coast based company that were thinking about it before?

Wil: Well before the elections there was great hope. The hope that our vote will count and that we too would taste a true democracy, the hope that we will see an economic boom. Now people are just sad and just want to get on with our lives in peace. We still believe that eventually the former president will step down peacefully but we shall see. Because we do not want violence. I have brought in people who were interested in investing in Ivory Coast before the elections but now we are all disappointed and more hesitant than ever especially since we heard news of Mr. Gbagbo nationalizing some banks, so it is a tough time but am still hoping for the best. For businesses, it quite tough, we have 2 “presidents” and sometimes even doing what you should be doing can get you in trouble with one side. Take for example someone who usually sells chicken in bulk to the different military mess hall, if his company keeps selling those chickens, he might be sanctioned for cooperating the Mr. Gbagbo’s Side. If you sell you chicken also to people living at the gulf hotel which is the headquarters of Pr. Ouattara government (backed by the whole world) Mr. Gbagbo might come after through the security forces. So it is tough the toughest situation I have ever been in but god willing everything will be ok.

16. As a new father, describe your anxieties living in a country where it’s uncertain which way the wind will blow? What is the psychology of people waiting for the other shoe to drop?

Wil: It is tough really tough because you want the best for your child. But it’s ok for me as I am more than fortunate to have the life I have, I am more worried about the poor pregnant woman, the HIV patient(PEPFAR funding has cut off) or the farmer who has to suffer because Mr. Gbagbo does not want to step down. The everyday Ivorian. Our politician should stop thinking of themselves for a change and think of people who are not fortunate to eat 3 meals a day like they do. Next year, I am setting up a foundation at my company that will try to help in solving these basic matters. 

17. And finally, when you see these tea party people screaming their lungs out at rallies where Obama is trying to give them cheaper health insurance, what do you make of this? When you see all the real problems in Africa going on and how badly privatization of basic services has hurt the African people, do you think “He’s trying to make insurance more affordable from companies that have gone off the deep end with greed. What the hell are these people protesting for?”

Wil: I know right. Remember earlier I told you we have to learn from the US’ way of live and take the good but leave the bad? Well this is the bad, healthcare in the States is way too expensive and I believe we can figure out a way in the Ivory Coast to make it affordable and still provide quality healthcare. So yeah I do say what the hell are these people protesting for?

End Note: Couldn’t have said it better myself