CAUSES OF AFRICA’S UNDERDEVELOPMENT

THE causes of Africa’s social and economic problems are many and complex. The many factors involved are so interlinked that it is difficult to tell which is cause or effect. However, the main causes could be issues of government, management, morality, competency, unfair global economic systems, population and embellished anti- progress cultures.

Bad government and poor political leadership is usually the recipe for retrogression and keeping any country poor. Bad governance is definitely a liability to any nation. In order to survive and make it in the modern world, a nation requires the capacity and ability to determine its economic, political and social priorities, to cultivate and develop sound policies, and to translate policies into strategies and strategies into action.

The civil service must be run with competence, integrity and excellence. The civil service is the branch of public service concerned with all governmental administrative functions and national services. The body of people employed in these branches is key to making and helping the government deliver. A disorganised and unskilled civil service is a recipe for failure. Therefore, leaders must not allow the civil service to be incapacitated by favouritism, indiscipline, corruption, the disregard of merit or experience and low pay.

A weak and unskilled civil service slows down development.
African culture is endowed with many good elements such as strong family ties, generosity and a wonderful community spirit. However, there are aspects of our culture, as Africans, that are serious hindrances to development and progress. For example, our lack of respect for time. It is imperative that we wake up to the importance of managing time. There’s simply no ‘African time’. Since vision and goals are accomplished in time or seasons, it is, therefore, imperative that we learn how to prioritise our activities and finances.

Development

We must spend time and money on key things that matter in the context of economic and social development. We must stop embracing the spirit and attitude of disorganisation. One of our great weaknesses as Africans is that we are very disorganised, and we tolerate this state. If we are to conquer poverty and underdevelopment, we must intentionally get organised in our dealings.

This usually calls for critical thinking and questions like, ‘what must be done? Who must do it? How should it be done? When should it be done, and where should it be done’? As Africans, we must also divorce the common prevailing culture of superstition, witchcraft, and sorcery, which are part of the hindrances to our economic, political and social development.

We tend to always blame spiritual entities for our inability to manage our time and resources. Poor management is one of the sources of Africa’s economic crises and underdevelopment. Simply put, management is the skillful or efficient use of resources to provide required goods and services for the people. We need to cultivate and develop ‘a culture of efficient organization and management.’ A culture that demands and promotes integrity, excellence, proper attitude to time, efficiency, productivity and competence in all spheres of society.

In order for us to navigate around the unfair global economic system perpetuated by former colonial masters, we need to develop an education system that will empower our young (both girls and boys) people not only in the academic realm but also in the area of creativity and innovation. In this way, not only are we going to minimise the importation of certain goods, we will also be able to develop indigenous industries. African nations supply raw material to western and eastern nations, and then buy manufactured goods from these nations at prices and trade terms determined by them. Quality education is crucial to economic and social development of any nation and it must be given top priority in order to change the future social and economic landscape of the nations of Africa. We must raise a generation that shall catch the vision of a better Africa, a prosperous Africa. We must train the minds of our youth to get dissatisfied with the status quo and reach out to what could be. Just as God has gifted other peoples, He has also endowed the Africans with the moral and intellectual capacity and capabilities necessary for just, civilised and prosperous nations.

As a people we must believe that it is possible to make our societies and nations better. We must embrace maturity, rise above our differences and build our nations. Unity is a powerful force. Together we can do more. We must bring together our strengths for the common purposes of making our societies and nations better economically, socially and politically. This will require humility and maturity. Maturity and humility is that quality in us that sees the difference in others as the needed ingredient and not the source of enmity. Humility is the oil that services all parts in the engine of relationships. Humility helps us to be able to receive advice from others. A humble person is usually sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. Africa must unite politically, socially and economically.

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