There is a pretty straight line from colonial exploitation to modern-day neocolonialism. Few African countries process their own raw materials - rather, the value is added elsewhere, and the finished products reimported, much to the benefit of foreign-owned companies. Multinational companies hold enormous economic and political power in post-independence African countries, a colonial hangover that’s seen them take part in illicit capital flight, pay low royalties and low rates of tax, provide little in the way of local employment and spur the destruction of local industries. When Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, announced that Nigeria would be moving up the value chain and that he would be building a 20-billion dollar, 650,000-barrels-a-day refinery that would meet domestic needs and export to the rest of Africa, ending the country’s age-old  ...