Africa’s Underdevelopment Discourse: A Perspective on Its Source of Persistence and Possible Solutions

Abstract

Since independence the underdevelopment discourse in relation to Africa has been a persistent debate. Efforts at overcoming such a challenge tended to have defied conventional wisdom, and since we cannot stop except a solution is found, greater energies are required to solving the riddle. Consequent upon the above, this study shall examine Africa’s underdevelopment discourse with focus on its sources of persistence and possible solutions. The study adopted the historical approach and applied the institutional theory as basis for analysis of secondarily sourced materials. The study found that Africa’s underdevelopment goes beyond slavery, colonialism, imperialism and corruption as earlier studies by afro-centric/Marxist scholars and recent studies will suggest. This study rather found that the root of the persistence of Africa’s underdevelopment lies in the spate of civil wars/ethnic cleansing ravaging the land; the domination approach of one ethnic group over the other, the dysfunctional political structure/weak institutional framework and failure to adopt hook, line and sinker, a workable development model. The study therefore recommends the building of strong institutional framework that entrenches the supremacy of the law, the restructuring of the political system to ensure that regions develop at their own pace and the adoption of a development model that emphasizes the development of the coastal region as the gateway for economic development, huge investments in research and development coupled with efficient monitoring and management system.

Keywords: Development, Underdevelopment, Institutions, ethnic cleansing, civil war and political structure/management system