Do Not Shun the Oyibo

I came across a very interesting article that gave the authors point of view on Cameroonians and other Africans who seek to establish relationships with "Oyibos" (white people). After the article, there reader comments published that made it even more interesting to read.
What I think needs to be pointed out is, besides relationships that some Africans seek to establish with Oyibos because they believe they will help them establish a better life, many Africans seek to establish relationships within Westerners in general.
I am stating this based on my own experiences in Africa as a Black woman. My Blackness did not deter some people from attempting to establish very superficial relationships with me on the basis of my Westernization. Almost everyday, a stranger would exchange email and other contact information with me after learning that I resided in the US. We shared nothing else in common and often, they did not even pay much attention to me during initial introductions, but once they heard my accent and learned that I lived in the US, they were suddenly interested in maintaining contact with me.
I dont doubt that some people were generally interested in learning about my culture, as I was traveling to learn more about there's. However, some were more forthright and honest with their approach and told me that they were interested in finding someone abroad to sponsor their education or their application for a visa to travel to the US. I never rejected the opportunity to exchange contact information with strangers because though there were some people who were not necessarily interested in establishing a friendship with me, there were many that were. And as a result, I have made quite a few friends abroad who were more than hospitable to me during return trips.
I say this all to say that I think it is unfair for the author to discourage Africans to pursue relationships with foreigners simply because they are white or Western. Relationships are usually mutual and those that are not are due to one parties, naiveté or exploitative nature, rather than their race. In the US, people are constantly giving their business cards to strangers in an effort to network and establish relationships that may be beneficial in the future. How is this any different?