Economic growth rhetoric in some African countries has not translated into altering living standard or in other words zero-dividend to citizens

The portrayal of Africa as the fourth world is a demonstration of the underdevelopment and backwardness that emanated from ravaged by internal conflict and external invasion, which instigated such classification. Though African countries have a different living standard all the way yet, they share common denominator tagged in the continent as the pot of poverty, insecurity and diseases. According to S. Amin, Africa in contrast with Asian and Latin American’s counterparts is far behind to access market and living standards. African has been on the periphery of economic agenda and marketplaces until the recent time of the record. Even now there is a long way to be considered as the important market player. Though there are signs Africa on the rise and such recognition is getting impetus (S. Amin1996 P. 200). The realism of underdevelopment has a common indicator that is basically traditional society; agriculture dominated economy, low level of usage in science and technology and little saving and investment. Imaginably they lack socioeconomic construct and a sustainable economic growth and development. Beyond that, the real causes are the lack of diligent leadership, strong institutional framework, technological transformation and delusional ideology that are far from the societal need (Rostow, W.W. 1960). A combination of all these factors causes Africa to be seated not only on the periphery but also periphery of the periphery. According to dependency theorist, the division of class distinctly categorized that the periphery countries to be a raw material and cheap labour provider for the richer countries at centre. These realities are maintained by both sides of the elites to protect their power and wealth. The African economic pattern shaped by the colonials setup. The colonial economies outfit created an unprecedented advantage to the colonial power. The reason why the economic hegemonic power created historical disadvantage over the African economy. Consequently such precedent continued postcolonial Africa. African Countries inherited economies that were fragmented and dominated by entrepreneurs that were often neither indigenous nor committed to the economic prosperity of the continent. Whereas, the biggest challenge Africa experience is to have a development partner that works to equalize the balance sheet of trade in an amicable way. What is observed for the last five decades is exploitation in all corners. Neither the Westerns nor the Chinese offered any benevolent trade treaties that drive equal partnership with Africa. The only difference between the Western and Chines might trade with and without preconditions and the extent of bargaining approaches. With this context, the paper highlights the causes of underdevelopment both internal and external factors. To deal with internal dynamics Africa countries they have be honest in the development agenda to change the livelihood of the citizens rather cooking data for a political reason. Most precisely the economic growth rhetoric in some African countries has not translated into altering living standard or in other words zero-dividend to citizens. The argument remains vague because epistemic of economics wrong or the governments are delusional? With the same effort the paper assesses the importance of narrowing the knowledge gap using local knowledge system, strengthening homegrown institutions, none state actors participation and reforming educational systems to challenge the development deficit. Further will attempt to provide the significance homegrown institution to overcome the socio-economic and political problems faced by the continent in a growing interconnected with the globalized world. 

Development has come a long way in the past five decades as both an initiative and an academic discipline. Development has different definition and perspective by development theorist and Ideological philosophers. The perspectives are varies within the neoliberalism, structuralism, interventionism, people centred alternative and post developmetalist. The same is true with the ideological orientation such as capitalist and socialist camp has different approach different meaning development (S. Amin, 1980 P 36-76). The ideological metamorphosis that gives different theoretical framework like dependency, modernization and human development is the most popular one. Not only with the development theorist and ideological philosophers whereas, development has been changing its narration with time, place and circumstances. Furthermore, development is a change in perception the way in which human associated with changes that are created by humans’ creativity dynamisms. The ability of the individual and institutions control and manipulate the other societies for their own benefits and that of humanity at large. With the modern world, the ownership of development has transformed and institutionalized to control inherent capacity humans to do things with a greater freedom. The actual fact is the obsessions of material wellbeing override the actualizing of the true need of humans. The absence or the opposite of such reality will lead an individual and society to consider that is underdevelopment. Nevertheless, universally accepted development indicators that are technological advancement, national economic expansion, bureaucracy efficiency and the increase in Gross National Product (GNP) crucial to inculcate into consideration to change the reality in Africa.

The Realism of Underdevelopment: Fundamentally Africa has been the biggest raw material provider for the global resource in general and advanced countries in particular. ‘Underdevelopment’ is conceptualized as the natural ‘primitive’ state of ‘the traditional society’ from which inevitably all ‘modern’ societies have historically departed from (Rostow 1971). Accordingly, in a course of approximately 60 years, societies would be able to undergo five stages of ‘development’, from a ‘traditional society’, to the ‘preconditions for take off’, followed by the phases of ‘take off’, the ‘drive to maturity’, and finally the ‘age of high mass consumption’ based on the model of US-American Fordism (ibid). A ‘traditional’ society is seen as ‘underdeveloped’ due to the lack of ‘modern’ attributes, namely sophisticated knowledge, better health, higher employment and skilled labour, geographical mobility, complex economic activities and differentiated societal roles, urbanization, industrialization, national centralization and market- institutions, rationalized political authority, mass participation, and differentiated governance structures (Huntington 1971). In contrast to making intra-societal factors accountable, dependistas argue that ‘underdevelopment’ is not a ‘natural’ state, but a product of international exploitative colonial relationships that human made out of greed (So 2010). Their core assumption implies that societies of the periphery were made dependent upon a more powerful center to which they export low-profit raw materials and from which, in return, they import industrialized goods with higher profit margins (Peet & Hartwick 2009). With the industrialization of the Third World, the extraction of profits is secured through “licenses, patents, royalties”, and interests on loans (Cardoso 1972: 91). Whereas the center started off by exporting manufactured goods, it kept its economic ‘superiority’ by switching to the export of advanced technology, e.g. machines needed for the industrial production in the periphery. Frank’s metropolis-satellite model (cf. So 2010; Peet & Hartwick 2009) identifies an urban-rural schism in Third World countries: Whereas Third World satellite cities of the First World metropolis experience economic growth and their emerging middle classes provide new consumer markets, they function as intermediary segment between the center and the periphery, meaning they are exploited as well as exploiters at the ultimate expense of rural areas. Furthermore, the context is socio-economic structure and the conduct is subjugation and domination of another social formation. Development and underdevelopment should not be a permanent status that we always refer to a particular nation or region rather it is dynamic and ever-changing realities which determinants are a lot of variables (Andre G. Frank 1996 p. 20-55). However, the underdeveloped and developing countries are controlled and monitored in so many ways by the developed world as a marketing strategy and a manifestation of constant political hegemony. The rise and fall of empires in the early centuries was a constant phenomena in all parts of the world nevertheless those who learned from the dereliction gave them adequate strategy not to fall in a vicious circle of the status quo ante. The current imperial order institutionalized by design that to maintain master and slave relationship in a systematic way with the human element.

Seife Tadelle Kidane