Africa Growth and Opportunity Act: New Path to Africa’s Economic Recovery? (original) (raw)

Most Sub-Saharan African countries attained political independence with populations faced with a myriad of problems. Among them were diseases, poverty, illiteracy, ethnic strife and political upheavals. Seeking solutions to these problems has not been a concern not only for African leaders and policy makers. The Bretton Woods institutions, and leaders from developed nations have been involved in this search. Several development theories and approaches have been formulated by scholars and leaders geared toward a diagnosis and treatment of the problems of underdevelopment in Africa. Some of the theories developed and prescribed for Africa include modernisation, post modernism, post structuralism, and dependency. As a result of unimpressive performance of these development strategies, a new neo-liberal theory seeking to bring about economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa has emerged. Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the United States’ trade rule that came into force in October 1, 2000 is in line with the neo-liberal theory. AGOA was designed to facilitate socio-economic growth in selected Sub-Saharan African countries through trade rather than aid. Through this initiative, African exporters in countries that meet eligibility criteria can access the U.S. manufactured products market such as the apparel, duty free. While AGOA is a practical approach of the neo-liberal theory, however, it is an externally driven initiative that lacks deep involvement of the recipients