African States and Development Management: Examining the Normative and Empirical Challenges

Abstract

Africa is one of the most backward continents in the world. It houses some of the poorest states that are populated by people who are ranked among the world’s poorest of the poor. Certainly, these are not very good comments on a continent that is blessed with rich human and material resources that are acknowledged all over the world. Within the framework of the overdeveloped state theory, this article examined the African state and development management with the aim of identifying the normative and empirical challenges that confront Africa’s development. This study adopted a qualitative approach and is descriptive in nature, with the researcher setting out to illustrate the normative and empirical challenges that confront Africa’s development. Authoritative scholarly sources were reviewed during a desktop study. The purpose was to identify relevant publications and utilise them in the research. It is the position of this article that states in Africa will continue to play major roles in development. The level of human happiness might be increased and the equilibrium of the earth maintained if governments and private individuals do what they are best placed by nature to do. Development has been slow in Africa because its leadership since independence has been unpatriotic, corrupt, lazy, and myopic. No nation becomes great without a critical mass of dedicated, committed, visionary, and missionary leaders. Unfortunately, these crops of leaders have been in the deficit in Africa since the attainment of political independence. On a continent where communal bond is strong, voluntary and people’s organisations should be the bedrock of policies and programmes that promote development.