For a meeting billed as a chance for African policymakers to “brainstorm” responses to the global slowdown, a conference of finance ministers and central bank governors in Tanzania last month yielded slim pickings in terms of ideas.

Its main output was a lobbying call to be made to the heads of the G20 meeting in London, the gist of which was this: Africa is not responsible for this crisis, but it is now suffering from it, so the rich countries that caused it should stump up cash to help the continent manage.