Achberger - The Political Economy of Development and Underdevelopment in Africa

The Political Economy of Development and Underdevelopment in Africa

While Africa is too often regarded as lying on the periphery of the global political arena, this is not the case. African nations have played an important historical role in world affairs. It is with this understanding that the authors in this volume set out upon researching and writing their chapters, making an important collective contribution to our understanding of modern Africa. Taken as a whole, the chapters represent the range of research in African development, and fully tie this development to the global political economy. African nations play significant roles in world politics, both as nations influenced by the ebbs and flows of the global economy and by the international political system, but also as actors, directly influencing politics and economics. It is only through an understanding of both the history and present place of Africa in global affairs that we can begin to assess the way forward for future development.

Toyin Falola is the Frances Higginbotham Nalle Centennial Professor in History at the University of Texas at Austin. A Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, he is the author or editor of more than 100 books.

Jessica Achberger received her PhD in History from the University of Texas at Austin. Her dissertation focused on the foreign policy and economic development of Zambia, particularly in terms of its relationship with China. An historian of both Africa and Asia, she is interested particularly in linkages between the two continents. She is currently a Fellow at the Southern African Institute of Policy and Research in Lusaka, Zambia.

Routledge African Studies

Facts, Fiction, and African Creative Imaginations

Edited by Toyin Falola and Fallou Ngom

The Darfur Conflict

Geography or Institutions?

Osman Suliman

Music, Performance and African Identities

Edited by Toyin Falola and Tyler Fleming

Environment and Economics in Nigeria

Edited by Toyin Falola and Adam Paddock

Close to the Sources

Essays on Contemporary African Culture, Politics and Academy

Abebe Zegeye and Maurice Vambe

Landscape and Environment in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa

Edited by Toyin Falola and Emily Brownell

Development, Modernism and Modernity in Africa

Edited by Augustine Agwuele

Natural Resources, Conflict, and Sustainable Development

Lessons from the Niger Delta

Edited by Okechukwu Ukaga, Ukoha O. Ukiwo and Ibaba Samuel Ibaba

Regime Change and Succession Politics in Africa

Five Decades of Misrule

Edited by Maurice Nyamanga Amutabi and Shadrack Wanjala Nasongo

The Political Economy of Development and Underdevelopment in Africa

Edited by Toyin Falola and Jessica Achberger

The Political Economy of Development and Underdevelopment in Africa

Edited by Toyin Falola and Jessica Achberger

First published 2013

by Routledge

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Simultaneously published in the UK

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2013 Taylor & Francis

The right of Toyin Falola and Jessica Achberger to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Africa Conference (Tex.) (2011 : University of Texas at Austin)

The political economy of development and underdevelopment in Africa / edited by Toyin Falola and Jessica Achberger.

p. cm. (Routledge African studies ; 10)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Originated from the 2011 Africa Conference, Africa in World Politics, held at the University of Texas-Austin from March 25 to 27, 2011

1. Economic developmentPolitical aspects Africa. 2. AfricaEconomic conditions. 3. AfricaForeign economic relations. 4. Economic developmentInternational cooperation. I. Falola, Toyin. II. Achberger, Jessica. III. Series: Routledge African studies ; 10.

HC800.A553325 2011

338.96dc23

2013002632

ISBN13: 978-0-415-81888-9 (hbk)

ISBN13: 978-0-203-38774-0 (ebk)

To the people of Africa, and to the people who work endlessly to promote development.

Figures

Tables

The preparation of a manuscript such as this requires the hard work and dedication of many individuals. First, we would like to thank the organizers and support staff of the 2011 Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin. The conference co-coordinators, Jessica Achberger and Charles Thomas, could not have put together such a well-organized and successful event if not for the support of Tosin Abiodun, Lady Jane Aquiah, Emily Brownell, Roy Doron, Ryan Groves, Jason Morgan, Segun Obasa, Adam Paddock, and Danielle Sanchez.

We would also like to thank all the participants of the 2011 Conference, Africa in World Politics, which made it such a success. The fruitful dialogue from the Conference made a significant contribution to the chapters of this volume. This volume is a reflection of the power of collaboration, and each chapter was aided by the valuable comments received from panel chairs, co-participants, and conference attendees.

Finally, we would like to thank our families for their continuing support of us in our endeavors as academics. It is through their support that we are able to dedicate ourselves to this work.

Toyin Falola and Jessica Achberger

Austin, Texas and Lusaka, Zambia

June 2012

Toyin Falola and Jessica Achberger

Of all the topics within the realm of political economy, questions surrounding development have been the overwhelming focus of scholars of Africa. Important work is being done to understand why, fifty years after independence, many African nations are still plagued by chronic underdevelopment. There are a number of answers to this question, including a colonial legacy, neocolonial influence, and bad governance and corruption, as well as less widely accepted views such as environmental determination. However, most scholars appreciate that it is not just one singular factor that is plaguing the Africa continent but rather a combination of many, which differ on a country-to-country basis. The question asked by this volume, then, is how does internal African development relate to Africa s place in global affairs?

The Political Economy of Development and Underdevelopment in Africa originated from the 2011 Africa Conference, Africa in World Politics, held at the University of Texas-Austin from March 25 to 27, 2011. The intention of this international, interdisciplinary conference was to facilitate the exchange of ideas among scholars and professionals interested in Africas historical and contemporary place in global politics. The nineteen chapters in this volume represent and reflect the numerous papers presented at the conference that were concerned with African political economy and the role of Africa in the global narrative.