THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AFRICAN STATES

INTRODUCTION

African political economy emerged from the circumstances of her forceful integration with the international capitalist system. Through the successive and combined impact of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism, African’s economy today is not only underdeveloped, but also almost prostate. More than four decades of “flag” independence has also failed to free African states from her precarious dependence and near stagnation. Rather than adopt correct development models, most African states have merely copied foreign inspired growth models that are unsuitable for a developing society. The effect is that, till date, most African economies continue to suffer from exploitation and underdeveloped.

This unit examines the negative impact of neo-colonialism on African development, analyses the effectiveness of the structural adjustment programme, and recommends a more appropriate policy response to African crises of underdevelopment.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

• identify the major features and character of African political economy 
• explain the role of neo-colonialism in the deepening of African dependence and underdevelopment 
• understand what can be done to free Africa from the stranglehold of neo-colonial forces. 

Concept of African Development

The dominant theme of the penetration thesis is that the process of African development was arrested as a result of her encounter with Europe. During these five centuries of encounter, Africa was subordinated to, and served the economic, political and psychological interests of Western imperialism. Worse still, after political independence, when Africa was expected to pursue genuine programme of economic transformation, a developmental model, that have been programmed to perpetuate her underdevelopment, was imposed on the continent (Davidson: 1992).

Economists are united in their views that growth is not synonymous with development. Growth though can raise the general standard of living, and it is also a powerful weapon against poverty; but not everyone can benefit equally from growth. (Lipsey; 1963:715). In other words, growth can not eliminate all the major characteristics of an underdeveloped society, Obone (1977; 139) grouped the major characteristics of underdevelopment under five headings: economic, agricultural, demographic, cultural, political, and technological characteristics.

Nnoli (1981:29) dissected development into the economic, social and political aspects. Economic development, according to him, is concerned primarily with growth in GDP, industrialization and capital formation. Social development emphasizes the institutionalization of Western social norms and behavioural pattern while political development focuses on political stability and institutionalization of goals and means for achieving them. These three strands belong to the Western model of development.

But the Marxists have a different conception of development. They see man as the centerpiece of all development activities.

 Development, according to the Marxist, is a dialectical phenomenon in which individual and society interact with their environment and transform it for its own betterment (Nnoli 1981:36). Development, along this perspective, is changes in man’s humanity and creative energies, not in things. It is a process of actualizing man’s inherent capacity to live a better and more rewarding life. It also implies increasing skill and capacity to do things, greater freedom, self-confidence, and material wellbeing.

African Development, therefore, implies those political, economic and social attributes that will make the continent to chart the course of a dynamic and self-reliant development. Beyond the statistical indices, the tangible parameter of development is qualitative rather than quantitative. While the former deals with the ability to use the state apparatus to realize the potential of a nation, the latter is merely concerned with measurable performance.

A society whose citizens are educationally cultivated, such that they can mobilize the latent resources to achieve maximum output, with minimum effort can be said to be developed. A society is also developed if resources are fairly distributed among its citizens, the economy is not vulnerable, or unduly exposed to external forces, and its political system is stable.