Africa emerging as pivot of global economic growth: Manmohan Singh

Africa is fast evolving as the new pivot of growth for the world economy and development there could help resolve much of the current problems relating to food and natural resources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.

The world is faced with a shortage of raw material, food and other issues and more and more countries - both develop and emerging - are flocking to Africa in search of raw materials and land for agriculture.

"The world problems with regard to food and natural resource are going to be resolved in what happens to economic development pace of Africa," the prime minister said on Saturday on his way back from a six-day tour of Africa.

"The more I look at the possibilities of progress in Africa, I'm convinced that it is going to provide the pace for the solutions of the global food problem, global resource problem," he said.

But, he said, growth in Africa should evolve on an equitable and balanced basis and should be inclusive, in a way that benefits Africans most, rather than of the colonial kind.

"It is the responsibility of all of us to work together with the countries of Africa to evolve a more equitable, more balanced and a more inclusive process of development, avoiding the colonial patterns of development in this regard," he said.