Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari and Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta are in Saudi Arabia this week. They are two of at least four African heads of state attending the Future Investment Initiative, a glitzy affair dubbed the ‘Davos in the Desert’.

For both it’s the second high profile conference in as many weeks, following last week’s Russia-Africa summit, attended by dozens of African leaders.

Amid a proliferation of conferences targeting Africa, gatherings like this have become a pronounced part of the calendar for heads of state on the continent.

Their value isn’t always obvious.

Attending some events – like the UN General Assembly, or major bilateral gatherings with the likes of China – probably makes sense for the head of state, but the value of giving a speech at the ‘Davos in the Desert’ is dubious.

At times such trips feel more like a good time abroad than strategic engagement on behalf of the nation. They also incur considerable costs, often involving dozens of officials, at a time when most African governments are facing rapidly deteriorating finances.

It’s reasonable, as citizens in both Nigeria and Kenya are doing, to ask whether all this travel is necessary.

The answer is no, especially given the long to-do list most African presidents have waiting at home. There is certainly room for more governing, and less conferencing.

Source: How we made it in Africa