Recently, Dr. Ridgley M. Muhammad participated in a trade delegation to the West African country of Liberia. The trade delegation was organized for business people and potential investors to go to Liberia and see for themselves what is happening politically and economically, and to determine how Black Americans can assist in the rebuilding process.

Dr. Ridgley is the Managing Director of the Nation of Islam�s 1,600-acre farm in Georgia. He earned a Doctorate Degree in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. I invited Dr. Ridgley to join the delegation because he is committed to helping and supporting the thousands of Black farmers across America who are now in a battle with the United States Department of Agriculture. Our farmers are men and women who grew up on farms, studied and earned degrees in Agriculture. They love the earth and are experts in their trade, but they have not been afforded an opportunity (in the past 15 years) to use their knowledge and skill in America to make a decent living.

It only makes sense that Black farmers begin to look at Africa for answers. Africa is abundantly rich with fertile land. This land is underutilized and in need of the skills and expertise of the Black farmer. My vision is to see our farmers working and training young people in Africa. Many displaced African farmers have come into the capital cities of their country looking for work and placing a burden on the infrastructure. With a training program in place, these displaced farmers can go back to the land to earn a living and with pride, and contribute to feeding their nation.

Liberia in particular has a need for the expertise of trained farmers. During the seven years of conflict many young Liber-ians left the land to engage in fighting or flee from the fighting. Those who left the farms were not encouraged to maintain their skills, nor did they have an opportunity to learn from the elders the traditional techniques used in farming. Liberia needs those who can help her farmers see the value of the land and teach them to produce enough food to feed the nation and beyond. The agricultural community needs the technology of canning and food processing. These are some of the areas to be developed in Liberia as she rebuilds.

It is important to remember that Liberia has not received the foreign aid, which was promised to her after the conflict ended. I articulated to government officials and to President Charles Taylor that the concerned world community would not agree with the type of politics, which allows for Liberians to continue suffering as they have over the past 10 years. Especially when the politics are centered on potential donors� like or dislike of Liberia�s leadership.

In spite of the delay in foreign aid, Liberians are willing to move ahead. Some of the donor nations, civic organizations, and other business entities that can help Liberia, use the poor excuse of corruption in Africa. They say they are afraid of corruption. I ask, what about the $17 billion-plus that America sank into Russia? This investment in Russia came from the government and the private sector in America, most of which was lost to corruption. Today, Russia is one of the most corrupt nations you can find. Not only the criminal element in the streets, but criminals can be found amongst government officials from top to bottom.

When it comes to investing in Africa, funding and pockets are closed and supported with poor excuses. There are millions of Black people around who have not considered Africa as a serious place to invest, train, teach, and do humanitarian work in. We must begin to change our thinking. We are the sons and daughters of Africa. If we don�t seek out and take advantage of the opportunities in Africa someone else will. Liberia is ready to receive us!

The Minister of Agriculture of Liberia will be on tour in America with the First Lady of Liberia, Jewel Howard Taylor in June 2000. He and the other Ministers traveling with him will be best able to talk about farming in Liberia.

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(Akbar Muhammad is the International Representative of the Nation of Islam and is based in Accra, Ghana.)