Africa’s Development Challenges and Opportunities
Development in Africa has, over the years, been plagued with several setbacks despite the wealth of natural resources available. While numerous factors have been identified as hindering growth and development, it is troubling that leadership crisis and followership failure remain at the top of the list.
Africa’s development has defied several strategies, leaving the continent reliant on foreign aid and global sympathy. To change this narrative, leaders and followers must be responsible for achieving significant development.
According to the World Bank, opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa are vast despite persistent challenges. Home to the world’s largest free trade area and a 1.2 billion-person market, the continent is projected to create a new development path by harnessing its resources and people’s potential.
As of 2019, the World Bank reported, “several challenges remain which are holding back the progress of Africa.” For example, “Public debt levels and debt risk are rising, which could jeopardise debt sustainability in some countries; the availability of good jobs has not kept pace with the number of entrants into the labour force; fragility is costing the subcontinent half of a percentage point of growth per year; gender gaps persist and are keeping the continent from reaching its full growth and innovation potential; and 416 million Africans still live in extreme poverty.”
The African Union’s Perspective on Development
At the recent African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, the slow pace of development in Africa was attributed to unending violence in various parts of the continent. The African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, asserted that “violence has derailed the gains made through the years, and rampant conflict and emerging crises have dictated that it is imperative to amplify efforts in achieving and sustaining peace.”
To progress, Africa must establish robust mechanisms linking food security, nutrition, peace, and security. The AU Summit’s theme, “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development,” underscores the importance of addressing violence as a critical barrier to development.
The African Development Bank Group, also in its 2020 African Economic Outlook, acknowledged the “slow” progress in recent decades, acknowledging that Africa still lags behind other developing regions in education and skill development.”
The Role of Citizenry in Governance
While it is easy to blame leaders for Africa’s slow development, it is also crucial to re-examine the role of citizens in governance. A collaborative effort is required to silence the guns and pave the way for development.
The World Bank reported in 2019 that several challenges remain, including rising public debt levels and debt risk, a lack of good jobs, ongoing fragility, persistent gender gaps, and the prevalence of extreme poverty.
The African Development Bank Group’s Outlook
The African Development Bank Group, in its 2020 African Economic Outlook, acknowledged the “slow” progress in recent decades but also insisted that “Africa still lags behind other developing regions in education and skill development.”
Leaders were advised to improve education quantity and quality and align education policy with labour market needs. This includes expanding access to schools in remote areas, increasing incentives to invest in education, developing a demand-driven education system that caters to employers’ needs, investing in nutrition to help poorer children, and building STEM and ICT capacity.
Corruption and the Personal Rule Paradigm
Corruption among leaders has been identified as a critical factor hindering development in Africa. Whitlaw Mugwiji, in an online publication, revealed that “our leaders have created the ‘personal rule paradigm’, where they treat their offices as a form of personal property and a source of private gain.”
Transparency International reports that Africa is the world’s second-fastest-growing region, yet 100 million more Africans live in extreme poverty today compared to the 1990s. Furthermore, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the largest share of people living in extreme poverty, and corruption continues undermining efforts to lift people out of poverty.
The Importance of Cultivating Exceptional Leaders
Cultivating leaders with exceptional character and skills is crucial to Africa’s development. Africa’s development partners should recognise the importance of aligning the leader’s sense of identity with that of the followers for leadership to work.
Addressing Followership Failure
While it is easy to blame leaders, followership failure remains a perennial problem in many African countries. Regrettably, government leaders are often not held accountable for their actions and inactions. Instead, selective criticism of failure prevails, mainly when it concerns people of interest.
Objectivity has become a “long-forgotten” concept in the minds of African citizens. We are easily divided along ethnic and religious lines, a tactic repeatedly used by our leaders to distract our sense of reason. Our blind loyalty to any cause that benefits us has prevented us from seeing the bigger development picture.
We are quick to make unfounded judgments, especially when decisions do not go our way, and our indifference to political issues has been duly exploited by our “wise” leaders. While it is easier to hurl stones and insults from the comfort of our homes, it is also imperative that we do all we can to rescue Africa’s development from the hands of its abductors. Development will only be attainable if we rise to our responsibilities and challenge the status quo.
Moving Forward as a United Front
We will continue to wallow in the wilderness of stagnation until both leaders and followers understand their roles in the governance scheme. Now is not the time to assign blame but to reflect and act as appropriate. The development journey will be challenging, but we can make progress with conscious effort.
Leaders must work towards transparency, accountability, and inclusive governance, while followers must actively engage in the political process, hold their leaders accountable, and promote a culture of unity and progress.
By working together as a united front, Africa can overcome the challenges of leadership crisis and followership failure, paving the way for a brighter, more prosperous future.
Enhancing Education and Promoting Innovation
One of the critical steps towards overcoming leadership crisis and followership failure is investing in education and promoting innovation across the continent. As a result, Africa can equip its population with the tools necessary to participate in governance, make informed decisions, and hold leaders accountable by ensuring access to quality education and skills development.
Governments should establish programmes that foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in collaboration with the private sector and international partners. This approach will help create a generation of informed and engaged citizens who can contribute to the continent’s development.
Strengthening Institutions and the Rule of Law
Another crucial aspect of addressing leadership and followership challenges in Africa is strengthening institutions and upholding the rule of law. A robust institutional framework can provide the necessary checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power, corruption, and patronage.
Efforts should be made to enhance the independence and effectiveness of institutions such as the judiciary, electoral commissions, and anti-corruption agencies. Africa can foster a culture of transparency and accountability by ensuring that these institutions function optimally.
Encouraging Active Civic Participation
For Africa to overcome the problems of leadership crisis and followership failure, active civic participation must be encouraged. Citizens should be educated on the importance of participating in the political process, from voting to running for office and engaging in policy discussions.
Civil society organisations can play a significant role in promoting civic participation, as they can help to mobilise communities, raise awareness about pertinent issues, and hold leaders accountable.
Promoting Inclusivity and Addressing Inequality
Addressing inequality and promoting inclusivity are essential steps towards overcoming the challenges of leadership and followership in Africa. Governments must ensure that all citizens, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, have equal access to opportunities and resources.
Policies that aim to reduce income inequality, bridge the digital divide, and promote gender equality can help create a more inclusive society where everyone can contribute to the continent’s development.
Overcoming the leadership crisis and followership failure in Africa requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses education, institutional strength, civic participation, and inclusivity. By working together, leaders and followers can create an environment where development can thrive and the continent can finally reach its full potential.
