Why Africa May Remain Under-developed

Several unfavourable factors too complex to understand have combined to make Africa a continent of no development, although these problems are known by everyone our so called leaders have refused to address them for the betterment of the continent and until this is done development may continue to remain foreign to us.

That Africa is a mockery in the eye of many cannot be denied. We may conceal or even deny this the truth they say must come to light someday. It is only euphemistic to refer to major African countries as a developing Nations while the correct usage of this word “developing” is far from being applied to almost all the Nations of the continent.

I am writing this equiped with unlimited experience as one who was born here and have spent my entire life here journying from one African country from another and also as one well schooled in History and International Relations. it therefore hurt when people decide to apply “developing” euphemistically on African Nations for it nothing but a deceitful means of chiefly concealing feared things about the continent.

One major factor which continues to undermine the growth and development of the continent is corruption often perpetuated with temerity by our own leaders. What does anyone expect from this? newspapers coming from these countries show that this “culture” is fast being bequeated to the younger generation of our time such that if nothing is done with all seriousness the situation will alarmingly get of hand.

It is disgraceful that in Nigeria for instance when a mobile phone is snatched in the street of the country, when a goat is stolen, when two people are involved in fighting, etc he may bag several years of imprisonment but when government official is corruptly engages himself, he bags what has now come to be known in Nigeria’s political dictionary as wealth for freedom. In order words, he gives back part of what he has stolen from the coffers of the government and he regains his freedom maybe after serving about three months jail term.

We ask again is justice only for the poor? In Kenya today, hitherto unknown warlords are today in rehearsal, in preparation of what may later become known in Africa’s political diary as civil war. The cause of this development is nothing but greed, selfishness and sit-tight leadership syndrome. Again, can Africans ever be able to rule themselves? As a Historian, one thing i have understood is that no sooner African countries were granted their independence than civil wars began to be experienced. Egypt, Togo, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra-leone and others.

Although some African political scientist may want to differ with me instead settling with the much common idea that all these are as a result of colonialism on the continent by the Europeans. Again i ask, were African countries the only Nations to be colonised? Ask United States of America if she was ever colonised. Our leaders please help us. We need development and improvements in our lives and in the lives of African nations.

About the Author

Emeka Esogbue hails from Ibusa, Nigeria. He is a Historian and International Relations commentator. In this work he bears his mind on events that characterise Africa as a dar continent.

emekaesogbue@yahoo.com
+2348035119560

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