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Many Of The Barriers To Development In Africa Can Be Seen In The Colonial ...

Many of the barriers to development in Africa can be seen in the colonial legacy not only in terms of the way in which the state is formed and the way in which social relations between state and individuals are organized, but also in the economic power which the former colonizers continue to exercise over many African countries.
Highlighting the fact that Africa is not a homogeneous region and that different countries have had very varied levels of success (in terms of development) in the post-colonial period, Englebert (2000, 7) ‘offers a new explanation for success and failure in African development, which builds upon the insights of neo-patrimonial theory. It argues that variations in the extent to which post-colonial state institutions clash with pre-existing ones largely account for what differentiates state capacity and economic growth across the region. The greater the incongruence between pre- and post-colonial institutions, the greater the relative power payoffs to domestic elites of adopting neo-patrimonial policies over developmental ones.' It is exactly this kind of disaggregated, comparative analysis that can help to shed light on which policies or institutions have most effect in which specific contexts. More analyses of this kind are needed to develop a better understanding not only of how the colonial legacy interacts with existing systems but also of what the best alternatives may be and where they are likely to work, and why.
Nustad (2001, 482) explains that the various post-development ‘writings directly inspired by Foucault have served to illuminate the political and power aspects of what was earlier seen as a neutral and practical problem: how to deliver development to poor people. Further, the apparatus that emerged after WWII was shaped by the political climate of the time and explicitly set out to provide an alternative to communist ideology.' Kothari (2005, 47) takes this one step further, tracking the many and various links between the colonial administrations and the study and practice of development in the post-independence era, seeking to ‘identify the traces of colonialism that pervade the workings of the post-independence international development aid industry and highlight the extent and form of the relationship between colonialism and contemporary development studies.' These may represent the more radical views of development studies and development programming but they also ring very true. They demonstrate just how far the whole project of development has been one that is imposed by the West, and how little attention has been paid to indigenous solutions to indigenous problems.
In summary, the impact of the colonial era on contemporary African development cannot be overstated. Understanding this may be key to moving forward with development in Africa. The ‘new development' or ‘post-development' era in Africa should be driven from within Africa.

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