text: countries would stiU have. to import 9? per cent of their reguired Eractors' 96 per cent of their automobiles, 59 per cent of lheir lron and steel, 37 per cenc of their fertilizer and 12 per cent of their cement. ExPorts from Africa Hould continue !o consist mostl-y of coffee, cocoa, tob6cco, tea, copper, bauxite, iron ore, petroleum and natural gas, most of which face decreasing demand, declining pri.ces and production constraints. As a result, nDst African countries would be unable to earn enough foreign exchange through exports to pay for all of their impo(t reguirements, yet could not expecb capital inflor.rs sufficient to cover their trade deficits. Thus the continuation of the present trends would have devastatlng effecLs on Africa. 2. The lEgos Plan of Action 362. These gloomy prospects for Afrlca for the next decade or so are clearly unacceptable to the African countries, In contrast, the l€gos PIan of Action adopted in April l98O by the Assembly of lleads of state and Governnent of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), advocates a bold new grorrth strateqy for Africa. It balls for a change from rellance on the exPort of a few prlmary comnrcdities to masslve inprovements in agriculture and rapld industrialization. Industrialization would be based on the procesging of local raw materials and on the production of needed lndustrlal goods for an enlarged market resulting from African economic integration. Ihua, thls plan calls for an African solution to the development crisis in Africa and for a "willed future" based on self reliance and co-operation among African nations. the Plan of Action stems from the realization that exports of primary commodities to developed nations and foreign capital inflotts cannot be relleal upon to be engines of growth for the African countries ln the coming decades, just as they were not in the past.A/40 /5L9 English Page 183
analysis: The text discusses the economic challenges facing Africa, including the country's reliance on primary commodity exports and the need for self-reliance and cooperation among African nations. The text also touches on the potential consequences of continued reliance on exports and foreign capital, including trade deficits and economic stagnation. The text's focus on industrialization, agricultural improvements, and economic integration suggests that it is primarily concerned with economic development and international trade.