There are many theories trying to explain why the African continent is the global basket case. While the per capita income of the rest of the world in 2000 was US$ 8800, in Africa it was US$ 1800, nowhere else is life expectancy so low and illiteracy rates so high. And that although since the early 1950s $US 568 billion in aid has been poured into the continent.
In a new article (via 3 quarks daily – one of my favourite general interest blogs), the economist Nathan Nunn argues, that slavery is the main culprit. “Without the slave trades, 72% of Africa’s income gap with the rest of the world would not exist today.” Slavery affected those regions most developed between 1400 and 1900, which are today the poorest in Africa. Slavery, not only the transatlantic variety but also the earlier inter-African one, lead to political instability, weakened states, political and ethnic fragmentation and a deterioration of legal institutions.
Now, „One Big Thing“ theories are always suspicious. So let me throw in another (of the many) explanations. Many anthropologists will point to socio-cultural factors as being of great importance for African underdevelopment. One of the most important seems to be the egalitarian ethos of many traditional African societies. Jackson, a young South African man I got to know in Johannesburg earlier this year, had wanted to upgrade his family house back in the village by replacing the mud floor with concrete. But even this minimal attempt at differentiating his household from the others had spurred so much envy and suspicion that he eventually gave up on the project. Private wealth accumulation is seen as antisocial behaviour threatening to undermine the dense reciprocal relationships between villagers, who help each other out in times of need. The fear is that once some villagers are wealthy enough to do without these insurance networks, they might refuse to help needy others and thus destroy the fundamental sense of security in the community.
Successful people are constantly pressured to share their wealth with family and friends. If they don’t, they easily are branded as witches or have other envious people bewitching them. If you want to know more about this subject (and understand German!) read my old brand eins column or this article about witchcraft and the Swiss anthropologist David Signer (via antropologi). For a highly informative account of the role of witchcraft in Cameroon read Peter Geschieres The Modernity of Witchcraft.
Africa’s economy would never be so downtroden if it was not the process of slavery and slave trade. Those Europeans used Africans for bunches of food production in their own countries. They captured only the economically active populations knowing that those young children and elders left behind will never survive on their own. I wonder if without us as Africans the Europeans were going to have their economy in the position it is in right now. It is painful to see and know that Europeans are very rich because of the resources of Africa and the labor of African people. One has to consider that Africans were very much independet until these people came here. They even divided Africa into pieces. There were no boundaries within the African continent. Now, when a person wants to go to Zambia for example, one has to produce some legal documents. Poor Africa, what did you do that you are in this situation. When one traces your history, one finds out that you were very rich. The intruders have intruded and you were very much overt for intrution. Now the intruders have taken all your fortune and left you in desperation. I pray the God feels for you. Ooh Poor Africa! what did you do?
Their are many theories to why Africa is underdeveloped and one can not stick to only a single reason,slavery colonialism,neo-colonialism and just to mention but a few,are all responsible for Africas underdevelopment
I would like more information about why Africa is underdevelopment
I see no reason why africans see white as there second God most expecialy nigerians?despite all there wicked attitude to us in past.it so painfull that they make us believe that are good.my concern is that we don’t have good leader and follower.are struggle.enough of all these africans.let’s gather and fight our leaders we need economy stability.why must we have food and die of hungry.we need fight to create fears in the mind of our leader.after many years of surfering from white people.why must we need to surfer from our people again
The average african is constantly faced with the problem of culture disorientation.The major problem of the african is the problem of identity of culture.The average african behaves like someone suffering from senile amnesia.He does not understand where his coming from,where he is at present and where is going.
what are the features of underdevelopment?
Africa’s problem has just a solution which is let us get back to the founder of the world. cos He knows best our plight!
If visually a good number of african can embrace the truth about the golden laws of the creator & forsake their gods!
Those of us that have left Africa and have adapted other cultures, are very aware of what is wrong with Africa. The only way we can fix Africa is to step up and return with the knowledge we have acquired. Step up and fight corruption, step up and lead, and only then will things change. Let us not abandon Africa, she needs us.it only takes a brave few to change the course of the world. without the works of Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela where would we be now?
We have to find a solution to make Africa developed continent,one of solution is to stand on our own feet and not depend on Aids from developed countries.
Unless stable reforms in governance are made, Africa will remain underdeveloped forever.
i hate it when people heep the problem of africa on the colonial masters,few years ago i was watching tv then i saw a deutch bank advertisment in a wall street journal that proclaimed:ideas are capital and the rest is just money.i was struck by the simplicity of such an eloquent idea,then i started imagining what such power meant for africa,if idea is capital why is africa investing on things than on information?investing more on the military than on education.africa’s primary strategy for poverty alleviation is to sick for debt relieve,foreign assistance and investment from western nations. The potential for progress and poverty alleviation lies on the capital generated from the power generated from the power within our minds not from our ability to pick minerals from the ground or sick debt relieve and investment from western nations.the future of africa is in the hands of africans.
please,give me your email address i want to discuss with you about your comment .
fellow African lets stop standing on the complaint counter it will never solve our problem,pliz let embrace work ,keep time ,be optimistic and vigillant to combat our biggest pandemic under development and poverty and watch out for neo-colonial tendencies it the worst state of colonialism that will leave African in a parmanet island if under development and poverty
A tree cannot grow on the roots of another one . So Africa should go back to his owns roots , values and tradition . And Africa should be to Africans
at these point and level where corruption is the agenda of the day, it is hard to point out that colonisation is the cause of underdevelopment .Africa’s problems are mainly caused by the greedy nature that we have adopted not from colonial states but amongst ourselves, the development of Africa lies mainly in AGRICULTURE, it is pathetic that due to modernisation, technology Africans have abandoned the agricultural sector. nations budget allocations clearly limits possibilities of agric re-boost, studying the history of African agriculture one will agree with me that, currently there is injustice being practised on lands. Africans lets not abandon and abuse these lands which sustained our fore fathers. agriculture is our pride.
It’s truly very difficult in this busy life to listen news on TV, thus I just use web for that reason, and get the most recent news.
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author.
I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will come back later on.
I want to encourage you continue your great job, have a nice morning!
It’s going to be ending of mine day, except before finish I am reading this great article to improve my knowledge.
Amazing blog! Do you have any recommendations for aspiring
writers? I’m hoping to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option?
There are so many choices out there that I’m totally overwhelmed .. Any recommendations? Cheers!
Its a pity and a slap on each of us (Africans) that we are the main cause of our under-development
We all should come together to rebuild Africa.