Still Poor

In Angola there has been a recent increase in oil production, but many Angolans still remain poor.
Thanks to Angola's surging oil production, hundreds of workers are are rebuilding roads, airports, railways, and bridges that were destroyed in the civil war that lasted nearly three decades. For many Angolans, this recent construction is the first evidence of a dividend from the country's oil and diamond wealth. After five years of peace these resources are finally being mined. At 1.5 million barrels a day, Angola is pumping more oil than any other African country except Nigeria. The International Monetary Fund expects a 24 percent economic growth this year, one of the fastest in the world. The government is taking in more than twice the amount of money it did three years ago.
Despite the economic growth, Angolans remain poor as ever. The government claims there has been a 12 percent drop in poverty over the past five years, however other research contradicts this. Analysts for the Catholic University of Angola's research center say two out of three Angolans still live on less than two dollars a day. This percentage has not changed since 2002. Angolans still face extremely high infant mortality rates, dirty water, illiteracy, and many other ills. Angola is still ranked by the United Nations as the world's 17th least developed nation. The government claims it is hoping to jump-start the agriculture and economic sectors by rebuilding the infrastructure.
Many critics, including myself, wonder why Angolans aren't feeling any benefits. There has been peace for five years and the economy has grown greatly, so why are the people still living in such poverty? Government officials claim it simply takes time. Angola is still ranked as the world's 10th most corrupt nation.

source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/world/africa/14angola.html