Stan,

Years ago I would have agreed with you. But that so-called institutional knowledge and those that possessed such talents from a colonial era are all but dead and gone. To say that English and French governments continue to rely on 75 year-old experiences is doubtful. Just as much as today’s Africa is stuck in the 60s. Business and diplomatic practices have to evolve with every new administration both home and abroad.
The French never really left Africa. Some of my colleagues did a consulting job in Cote D'Ivoire - they still run that place. Same applies to Gabon, Djibouti and most of Francophone Africa.

Question: who controls and regulates the CFA? (currency used in most of Francophone Africa). Answer: the French

For the British it is a bit different, they don't control their ex-colonies like the French, but they work extra hard on ensuring that bonds formed during the colonial era are kept intact.

Bonds formed in Sandhurst are carefully nurtured. The British have a special relationship with Nigeria's most important traditional rulers & those relationships are carefully nurtured (e.g. the Emir of Kano regularly visits Britain).

The US government's only presence in Nigeria is in Lagos and Abuja. In contrast, British council offices are found in all of Nigeria's regions, so they are better positioned to understand Nigeria than the US is.

There are two things: firstly, the US is already at a disadvantage in Africa (with respect to the French & the British). Secondly, the US simply hasn't made or isn't willing to make the same investment in nurturing ties with African nations as the British or the French (at least since the Cold War ended).

Every smart person in Africa knows:

1. The US is losing interest in Africa - if not for oil & counter-terrorism, they would have left immediately after the Cold War ended.

2. Economic interest is key and since the likes of India & China have the most serious future economic interests, then we have to deal with them, whether we like them or not. (For e.g. China is VERY interested in Africa's consumer markets, but the US is too rich to be bothered with African consumers).