Africa

Africa‘the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty’. Presumptuously speaking, Africa is the poorest continent in the world, and this is believed to have been initiated by the ignorant chiefs that sold their subjects into slavery, down to the contemporary corrupt politicians and leaders. However, and most importantly, the aspiration for development should unhinge the despairing thought found wondering in the mind of an average youth of black African descent. It should be noted that the younger generationthe future of tomorrow, owe an obligation to remedy the mistakes of their descendants, as well as accept the fact that everyone has a part to play in the development of his or her society. This boils down to the words of Steve Biko‘You are either alive and proud or you are dead, and when you are dead, you can’t care anyway’. First of all, we would begin by taking a stroll down memory lane. According to history, Africa was believed to have been well structured and organized before the arrival of the European explorers and missionaries. Nonetheless, this period also marked the beginning of slaverysix centuries of unproductiveness and disorganization on the detriment of Africa, and on the other hand, a period of mass accumulation of wealth through Mercantilism and Imperialism in favor of Western Europe. In the same vein, ‘the west’ and the rest of the world interacted and developed through different stages, forming what is now called ‘The Global Economy’. As a result, Africa’s anergy and inability to contribute effectively has pushed her at the back, therefore attracting the gloomy and displeasing features of poverty. Furthermore, some of the mishaps presently encountered are the direct causes of her own people, hence directly stimulating impoverishment as well. A clear illustration is the deeds of corrupt leaders which leads to bad governance, civil wars, embezzlement of funds, and so on. Consequently, other unavoidable traits like; urbanization, illiteracy, poor health services, malnutrition, defective pension schemes, unemployment, AIDS and malaria, among others, have blended with the contracting forces of globalization, which has caught Africa unprepared, giving her no chance of survival.

Moreover, given that the present generation has failed and the only hope lies on the younger generations, there are certain elements that should be realized, including the dynamics of which the global economics evolves. There should also be a structured outline of responsibilities assigned to the peoples of the continent both home and abroad; and on the other hand, unto the leaders upon whom power and authority resides. Thus, based on empirical research, culture and nationalism has been paramount in the growth of the rapidly developing economies of China, India, Japan, South Korea, et cetera. The credit is largely owed to the patriotic citizens of these countries, and there is no harm in imitating their pattern of development. In the same way, the African culture contains certain disciplinal morals that can be used as a yardstick for personal development, which would affect the various institutions of growth. It follows that teachings such as: faith in God, respect for older people, et cetera, fosters cooperation and discipline based on a common value. Faith in God also reinvigorates hope, therefore always causing a ‘win-win’ situation. On the other hand, nationalism in its most abstract form directs a positive force towards the development of a particular target. The most suitable example is London, dubbed, ‘The Financial City of London’. This is a region well cherished and everything would be done to protect its image and enhance its importance in the global economy, likewise, the effort put towards its development would payoff, benefiting the country as a whole. Totting up, migrants’ remittances would also help in the development of ‘the dark continent’. Hence, a lot of Africans are beyond the boundaries of the continent; sending money to the continent would increase the flow of cash, therefore improving the standard of living of the masses involved. At the ‘state-level’, a good government revolves around good governance and democracy, encouraging lesser use of arbitrary power and corruption; as well as promote cooperation between the state and the public sector. Also, the state is responsible for the provision of a physical platform for development, which includes: low import tax on farming implements and production equipment; micro-credit loan for farmers, to provide a conducive atmosphere for farming in the rural area; provision of education, good healthcare services and pension schemes; provision of good road

networks, and Information and Communication Technology(ICT); investment in natural and human resources, and generally create a conducive environment for Foreign Direct investment(FDI). Along these lines, protectionist laws should be available to protect local industries from large multinational corporations, because the manufacturing power of a developing economy sets it off for development. All in all, as earlier stated, the pursuit of development is the responsibility of the youths to take up; having it in mind during their course of life. The old adage goes: ‘if you don’t know where you are from, you wouldn’t know where you are going’it is the African’s responsibility to make sure Africa is doing well. In relations to globalization, it should be faced confidently, rather than reluctantly, knowing that it is a struggle between the rich and poor, motivated by the covetousness of man and the limited resources available; and unless reasonableness and rationality is realized, the world would never become a better place.