Explore untapped potential of South Sudan

With rising world population and an imminent danger of food shortages in the future, Africa's South Sudan can become the global breadbasket and a major supplier of food. The newest country in the world, which was born in April 2010, holds large chunks of open, arable land. This unused land is being seen as a source of future food supplies for the rising population of the world. Bangladeshi human resources can play a great role in this process. As I have visited this country several times, I have come to know a bunch of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs who have already started operating their businesses here in South Sudan. They seem to be low-budget entrepreneurs but have indomitable courage. Some big ones are here too. When I came to South Sudan first, with an investor group from Bangladesh, I found only one five-star hotel. Now there are plenty of five-star hotels, including Radisson Blu. Hotels and business are synonymous as far as I am concerned. Bangladeshi entrepreneurs should remember that Juba, the capital of South Sudan, looks just like Dhaka in 1970. If you buy a few plots here, you will be paid off for sure.
Many ministers I know here in South Sudan are willing to give away their land for cultivation to any Bangladeshi entrepreneur. The most important thing that the people here love us, as Bangladeshis, for the contribution the soldiers made to develop their infrastructure. Sierra Leone had the same love for us in 2007. But we missed the opportunity and the new generations of Sierra Leone are unwilling to shower the same good will their parents had for us. You cannot really blame them. Solar home systems can be an excellent project in which young Bangladeshi entrepreneurs can invest in. The government, in my view, should also help the younger fresh blood develop the African country so that a good return comes back home.

Major (retd) Mahboob Sohel,
[email protected]