So if governments were to make the shift of moving beyond GDP and place the valuation on GNP, how would it particularly change the way they negotiate contracts with foreign, let's say, mining companies, energy firms, and also other multinational corporations?

That's a very good question.

I think governments are supposed to have their nation's best interests at heart when they negotiate.

I mean, there is this law known as Goodhart's Law.

where when the measure becomes the target, it no longer becomes a good measure.

And this can be said for GDP because GDP is supposed to be the measure of economic growth and progress and development.

But what's actually going on is that the measure, which is GDP, is being focused on so much that it's ceasing to be a good measure.

So how should African governments balance the desire to attract the foreign investment with the need to ensure that investment also generates local jobs, technology transfers and long term industrial capacity?