THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LEGACY OF COLONIALISM IN THE POST-INDEPENDENCE AFRICAN STATES (original) (raw)
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Very few, if anyone, can argue that Africa's connection and relationship with the West is an asymmetrical one which cost the continent positive and sustainable developments in the political, economic and social areas. There is also no doubt in the fact that Africa's irresponsible and greedy leadership coupled with corruption and mismanagement of state and public properties are also largely responsible for the continent's demise (see Alemazung AJPSIR forthcoming). Unlike in "Leadership fallibilities and flaws in Africa" (ibid.) where I focused on the internal factors/actors impacting politics on the continent, the main argument in this paper is centered on the external factors contributing to the failures and lugubrious state of the continent. According to this paper, the foundation for failure was laid in Africa during colonialism and is sustained through colonial legacies with the accomplice of African elite leaders. This is demonstrated with empirical case studies examples drawn from around the continent beginning with colonialism, post-colonial development aid to and other Western support which has been counterproductive on the continent. Contrary to the intended purpose of development aid, such efforts from the West continues to cause more harm than good when combined with autocracy and tyrannical leadership which contribute to the downfall of people. The conclusion drawn in this paper blames Africa's failure to a great extent on international (exogenous) factors.
J. Pan Afri. Stud, 2010
Very few, if anyone, can argue that Africa's connection and relationship with the West is an asymmetrical one which cost the continent positive and sustainable developments in the political, economic and social areas. There is also no doubt in the fact that Africa's irresponsible and greedy leadership coupled with corruption and mismanagement of state and public properties are also largely responsible for the continent's demise (see Alemazung AJPSIR forthcoming). Unlike in "Leadership fallibilities and flaws in Africa" (ibid.) where I focused on the internal factors/actors impacting politics on the continent, the main argument in this paper is centered on the external factors contributing to the failures and lugubrious state of the continent. According to this paper, the foundation for failure was laid in Africa during colonialism and is sustained through colonial legacies with the accomplice of African elite leaders. This is demonstrated with empirical case studies examples drawn from around the continent beginning with colonialism, post-colonial development aid to and other Western support which has been counterproductive on the continent. Contrary to the intended purpose of development aid, such efforts from the West continues to cause more harm than good when combined with autocracy and tyrannical leadership which contribute to the downfall of people. The conclusion drawn in this paper blames Africa's failure to a great extent on international (exogenous) factors.
Analysis of Colonialism and Its Impact in Africa
The work took a hard and critical look on the impact of colonialism and its concomitant ally, imperialism on the African state. The analysis revealed that the present primary role of African states in the international world economy as the dominant sources of raw materials and major consumers of manufactured products are the results of long years of colonial dominance, exploitation and imperialism. Consequently, on attainment of independence by most African states from their colonial overlords, it was extremely very diffi cult to disentangle from the colonial perfected role for the state because of the systematic disarticulation in the indigenous economy and the intrinsic tying of same with the external economy of the colonizers. The work also made a startling stark revelation by discovering through analysis that the deep-seated corruption in most African states and the selfi sh behaviour of some of the political leaders to sit tight in offi ce even when they have obviously outlived their usefulness in the eyes of their people, are attributable to the effects of colonialism and imperialism. The work concludes and recommends that for African states to overcome their present social, economic, political, health, education woes, etc., there is the urgent need for the people and the leadership to create their own indigenous identity, culture, technology, economy, education, religion, craft, etc. that would be interwoven in good governance.
Colonial legacy: a challenge to African Development in the 21st century
Colonialism an imposition of alien rule in Africa has ended but of course not without a legacy. More than five decades after most African countries became independent the echoes of colonialism still resonate. There is no consensus among scholars on the legacy of colonialism even after so many years of its demise. Apologists of colonialism are of the view that colonial rule in spite of its shortcomings was positive for Africa, while critics of colonialism believe that colonial rule left Africa poorer than they were before it. Whichever way scholars may choose to approach this discourse, the fact still remains that the contemporary African state system is affected in a number of ways by its colonial origins. Colonialism whatever may be its pros and cons were propelled by Europe's economic and political interest. It was Europe's interest that dictated the way that map boundaries were drawn, transportation and communication lives established, agricultural and mineral resources exploited, religious and cultural patterns introduced. The struggle for independence brought self-rule to many nations of Africa, but it did not break the ties that bound Africa's future to outside influence. This is clearly exhibited in the political manipulation of African states by the outside world, with the resulting legacies of armed conflicts, political instability, corruption, disarticulated economy resulting to abject poverty and many others. This has continued to affect the development of most African states in the twenty-first century. The aim of this paper is not to give an account of colonialism or decolonisation but to discuss colonial legacy, its effect on the development of African states in the twenty-first century and the inability of African leaders to chart for their nations a particular route to development.
2012
The work took a hard and critical look on the impact of colonialism and its concomitant ally, imperialism on the African state. The analysis revealed that the present primary role of African states in the international world economy as the dominant sources of raw materials and major consumers of manufactured products are the results of long years of colonial dominance, exploitation and imperialism. Consequently, on attainment of independence by most African states from their colonial overlords, it was extremely very diffi cult to disentangle from the colonial perfected role for the state because of the systematic disarticulation in the indigenous economy and the intrinsic tying of same with the external economy of the colonizers. The work also made a startling stark revelation by discovering through analysis that the deep-seated corruption in most African states and the selfi sh behaviour of some of the political leaders to sit tight in offi ce even when they have obviously outlived their usefulness in the eyes of their people, are attributable to the effects of colonialism and imperialism. The work concludes and recommends that for African states to overcome their present social, economic, political, health, education woes, etc., there is the urgent need for the people and the leadership to create their own indigenous identity, culture, technology, economy, education, religion, craft, etc. that would be interwoven in good governance.
According to development theories such as modernisation and dependency, The theory of colonialism explains a big part of development circumstances of countries such as Africa. This article / discussion is a reflection on the historical and economic experiences of Africa. The impact of colonialism on economic development of Africa as all countries were colonised. Because, of scientific pursuits - Colonialism defined the control of one nation by “transplanting” people of another nation — often a geographically distant nation that has a different culture and dominant racial or ethnic group. The period until 1914 saw the scramble for the rest of the world among European powers mostly in Africa