Easterly argues that aid bureaucracies are now rewarded for giving money that never reaches those who need it.
"It's just not possible for outsiders with their experts to create economic development and prosperity in another country," he said. "We should say: `There are a lot of problems and as rich outsiders we can't fix everything, but where can we do the most good for the most people?"'
The stakes are high. The outcome will decide if -- and how -- the world spends another US$568 billion on Africa.
DREAM STILL ALIVE
The dream of a world-class road network for Africa is still alive -- at least on paper. The African Union has a plan to build it, but it would take tens of billions of dollars that could come only from rich countries.
The east-west Trans-African Highway is still missing about 2,939km. But West African states are building a regional network that will run from landlocked Chad to the Western port of Dakar in Senegal, and from Mauritania to Nigeria. Kenya is also building a road to neighboring Ethiopia.
Aid to Africa is going up again to about US$37per capita, from a low of US$24 in 1999. But this time the world has learned something. Aid to countries with more democratic systems has tripled at the expense of those whose leaders have unchecked power, according to the World Bank.
These days, when a new road is under construction in Kenya, white cars with EU flags on the doors visit every day to make sure every inch of the highway is built to specification.
And a maintenance contract comes with it.
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