Required Shift of Paradigm

Abstract

After decades of reliance on the excuse of colonialism, Africa’s “maldevelopment” clearly has more to do with its own leaders than centuries of colonial exploitation. The economic development of such former colonies as Malaysia or Indonesia in Asia falsifies the view that a colony cannot get out of underdevelopment. To their credit, some African leaders have attempted to deal with the development equation through socialism or misguided nationalism. Nyerere’s Ujamaa, Kaunda’s Humanism, Kenyatta’s Harambee, or Mobutu’s Authenticité, were all efforts to lift their countries out of misery. However, these leaders failed for lack of clear vision in the first three cases and because of an adamant will to loot in the last. Even countries such as Côte d’Ivoire or Gabon, which remained on a capitalist path of economic development, have very little success to show. The differences in economic progress cannot be explained by the ideological proclivities of African leaders, since capitalist, socialist, and nationalist leaders have all met with failure. On the eve of this new millennium, Africa’s record on the economic and social development realms leaves much to be desired. An overhaul of the continent is in order if Africa is to have any chance to make up lost ground.

Despite their considerable natural resource endowments, most of Africa’s nation-states have, over the last forty years, proved themselves to be economically unviable as independent sovereign entities. Their inability to integrate effectively has resulted in a record of economic and political performance … that has compares very unfavorably with the rest of the developing world.

Percy S. Mistry, “Africa’s Record of Regional Co-operation and Integration.”