A number of factors have constituted the barriers hindering the development progress of the African continent. These factors include the colonial economies African countries inherited at the time of independence, mostly in the 1960s; increasing corruption in African countries; the slow nature of governance. and the virtual institutional collapse in countries on the continent. It is these four factors that have been responsible for the slothful development of the continent. It is these factors that in combination have made the African continent the poorest continent on Earth. It is these factors that in combination have made the race of the first humans on Earth, the poorest humans on planet Earth.
Colonial economies
The colonial economic system was devised just before the abolition of the slave trade beginning in the 1840s. The principle was to get Africans to stay in their home countries in Africa, produce raw materials - agricultural goods and minerals - needed by manufacturing companies in Europe and in America; and the manufactured goods exported in turn to African countries and other dependencies worldwide for sale. The colonial economy system was planned to achieve three major purposes:
- Acquire cheaper raw primary materials
- Avoid racial tensions in Europe and in the Americas
- Keep Africans away from knowledge and skills in scientific manufacturing processes; hence keep Africans away from the sources of wealth
Seeing the continuous developmental progress Europe and America have been making, going as far back as the 15th century, one would have thought that African political leaders would at least have tried to get business institutions in their countries to imitate some of the smaller segments of development products: safety matches, packaging bags for a variety of products etc. More than sixty years of independence have passed and African countries are still exporting low value raw materials and mineral ores; and importing high-value products: cars, communication equipment and gadgets.
The economic scenario seems like the “Stockholm syndrome” where the victims of attack develop love for their attackers. African governments are so much in love with overseas products they would rather borrow heavy sums of money to finance development in their countries rather start the processes of manufacturing and export of modern products to overseas markets. Result? Indebtedness of many African countries to international financial institutions and overseas governments!
Corruption
Corruption through bribery, nepotism, naked thievery and others have become a canker that has engulfed every facet of African life running through high offices on the continent to the lowest office messengers. Such levels of corruption make business transactions extremely difficult, cumbersome and unnecessarily expensive. Corruption has become a way of life in Africa.
Governance
There is a complete lack of dynamism in the governance system on the African continent. No country seems to have any determination for speed in the governance and development processes. In 60 years, most countries on the continent, in terms of development and financial position, are the same as today and will be the same sixty years to come unless more dynamism is injected into Africa’s governance systems by the coming youthful generations.
Institutional collapse
The collapse of empires and all significant human achievements over the centuries has underlying historical reasons. In the same way, the collapse of national institutions that are established to implement and direct the affairs of the state has underlying causes and effects. National institutions include government ministries, secretariats, agencies, commissions, the police, and many more. These are the institutions charged with the responsibility for implementing state policies and ultimately responsible for the continuous development of all facets of state development programmes.
Former President Barrack Obama of the United States, in a statement made to the parliament of Ghana in July 2009, said “Africa doesn’t need strong men, it needs strong institutions.”
Leaders, however strong they may be, will pass away in due course of time. The collapse and probable death of state institutions spell the stagnation and ultimate death of a nation.
The major factor leading to institutional collapse on the continent is the fast deterioration and collapse of the character of people. The deterioration in the character of Africans started just at the time of the independence struggles in the early 1950s. The deterioration emerged during the period of military coups d’état and other forms of social upheaval. The yardstick for judging human character has rapidly shifted from virtuous individual principles to money and riches. And in the race to riches and affluence, societies have now been divided into the minority rich and the majority struggling poor.
It is needless to say that the people entrusted with the work and fortunes of national institutions are presently also divided into rich and poor; the rich struggle to maintain their status essentially through corrupt practices, and the poor struggle to improve their life chances through corruption and abject thievery. The minority and the majority of the working staff of state institutions consequently have different intentions and objectives separate from the core objectives of the institutions they work for.
Now, the question that needs to be asked is “Why do people employed to work in national institutions have completely different intentions and objectives from the core objectives of the institutions they work for?”
Strong institutions are built and maintained by people, senior and junior, working together under effective management principles to achieve the objectives of the institution. The underlying reasons for institutional collapse on the continent include ineffective or simple abandonment of management principles and character collapse of both segments of the staff of state institutions. These two are related reasons and are internal to state institutions. On the external side, trade with countries of the world becomes the pivot around which many of the negative factors leading to an institutional collapse in Africa revolve.
It was a trade based on the colonial economy principles that buoyed up the economies of Europe and America. Chip away parts of this one-sided trade and a great discomfort is fomented among overseas governments and businesses and also within the ranks of local groups of persons Dr. Kwame Nkrumah called “Imperialist apologists.” A coup d’état toppled Nkrumah in 1966 followed by his death six years later in Guinea. The principal cause of Nkrumah’s demise was the courage he showed in dismantling the colonial economic system in Ghana.
The same or very similar scenario that Dr. Nkrumah showed has been played out in Tanzania in recent years. President John Pombe Magufuli stood up forcefully by significantly reducing the volume of imports coming into Tanzania; consequently reducing Tanzania’s import expenses and freeing up revenue for national development. In his term of office, 2015-2021, President Magufuli achieved what had never been achieved by any other president in the annals of Tanzania’s post-independence history. He reduced the number of government ministers from 30 to 19; banned government ministers from foreign travel; he himself never travelled outside Africa; refused a 10 billion US dollars in Chinese loan; banned the export of raw materials except with official state approval; blocked foreigners from access to rich mineral resources of Tanzania; required that products of Tanzania’s minerals and other raw materials should be manufactured in Tanzania; and further banned explicit and implicit negative images online.
From the stance he adopted, President Magufuli was able to build a gold refinery in Tanzania; provide infrastructure –roads, bridges etc.; provide free education to government schools; provide funds for a wind-farm project; and take Tanzania to the category of Middle Income Countries; all these achieved without borrowing money from overseas sources. It is said that President Magufuli sacrificed himself for his country and for Africa’s independence.
While President Magufuli was putting in measures to prevent foreigners from access to the rich raw resources of his country, the opposite has been happening in Ghana. Some politicians, some chiefs and local agents will gladly hold the hand of foreign entrepreneurs and lead them to the rich natural resources of their country, irrespective of the country’s security system.
Within a matter of ten years, the amount of damage to Ghana's environment by illegal gold miners will run into more than 500 Billion US dollars. Within those years, rivers and streams would have been polluted with chemicals; rivers dammed or diverted from their natural courses; forests pulled down to get to the soil of the land that has formed over 13 billion years when the universe emerged; lands dug up and left with huge pits; and numerous polluted lakes carved out by huge excavators; villages forcibly displaced or sometimes enticed with money to vacate their location for the illegal gold miners.
The Japanese worship their environment. They believe the hills, the forests and the rivers have kami, and must be propitiated and celebrated periodically. It is Kami that showers the environment with beneficence and prosperity. The vast African continent will be nothing if care is not taken to protect and conserve it.
Greed has no limits. The collapse of national institutions; the national security system, the commissions and many others have been the major cause of Africa’s poverty. To the greeting “Good morning, Mama,” the response from an elderly woman in Lagos will be “I thank God.” In Accra, the response from an elderly woman to the greeting “Good morning Mama,” will be “By His Grace.” The poverty and uncertainties of life have bowed down the spirits of many Africans on the margins of life to put their faith and hope in God, the Creator.
As a Westerner says in a video, “The Western world will not allow Africa to develop because the Western world needs the resources of Africa.” This is just a selfish statement. No one can prevent a people united under a determined leader to achieve the objectives of their resolve. Unfortunately, many African political leaders do not have the determined spirit of Kwame Nkrumah, Sankara and Magufuli.
All is not lost, however. The African development crisis is enshrined in the collapsing national institutions. If African governments and associated political leaders will develop a new patriotic spirit, they would be able to take a number of critical steps necessary for rebuilding the collapsing and collapsed national institutions by bridging the gap between the rich and the poor; taking measures to ensure the growth, stability and efficiency of national institutions; making significant changes in the education system emphasizing good morals in character development from kindergarten to the tertiary levels; after all national institutions are composed of people and without good character, there cannot be any effective institutions for national growth and development.
In the long run, the collapse of national institutions, corruption and all the negative factors hindering Africa’s development should not be supervised by African governments. Immediate action is required.
