Politics of Development and Underdevelopment in African States

Abstract

Development and underdevelopment are recurrent topics among scholars focused on the rate of progress, or lack of it, in former colonial territories. Often equated with Westernisation, the notion of development has remained not just largely nebulous, but a mirage decades after the attainment of political independence. Not even the shift from military rule to democracy has managed to address the development question. This paper, therefore, examined the nature and character of development and underdevelopment in Africa, particularly in historical, cultural and political contexts. Drawing from the Marxist theory of the state, the paper argued that whether development has ever been in the agenda of most African political leaders remains highly debatable going by deepening levels of underdevelopment across the entire continent. Data were generated mainly from secondary sources and analysed qualitatively. Where necessary, tables and charts were used for illustration. Findings of the study indicate that the Europeanisation of the concept of development clearly highlighted the underdevelopment of states in Africa; the perpetuation of inequalities as a result of their position in global economic and political relations, the importation of foreign culture, which undermined indigenous cultures of the people, among others. The study recommends, among other things, that emphasis should be placed on reforming the traditional political system to conform to 21 century reality, the introduction of an educational system that has local content and utility value, and the reform of the global economic relations.