Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja

Challenges to state building in Africa

Recent waves of democratic transformation include the rapid extension of multi‐party democracy. This new stage of State building in Africa can be viewed from the lens of Amilcar Cabrals contributions, from theory to revolutionary practice. The author argues that the political vision of Cabral and other beacons of his generation have not been emulated since and that most Africans continue to hope for a political order which is more participatory and just.

Putting Africa's House in Order to Deal with Developmental Challenges

However proud Africans must be to have a person of African descent in the White House, they should have no illusions as to how much President Barack Hussein Obama can do for Africa. Africans must put their own house in order for purposes of dealing successfully with the major challenges facing the continent, the most important of which is that of democratic and developmental governance. Obamas priorities are not necessarily those of Africans. They have to do with the role of the United States as a superpower in a global system in which the American military and business corporations play a hegemonic role. In this context, Africa is relevant to American and Obamas global priorities when its resources are needed to strengthen this role, on the one hand, or its humanitarian crises are likely to affect them in an adverse manner, on the other. What are these global priorities, and how are they likely to affect Africa during Obamas tenure? Following is a brief examination of four major priorities. The first is limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. Operating on the premise that nuclear weapons should be limited to the few countries now possessing them (U.S., Russia, Britain, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan), the U.S. government has led an international campaign against the acquisition of nuclear weapons technology by other countries, particularly those deemed hostile to Western interests, such as Iran and North Korea. Since South Africa destroyed the nuclear arsenal of the former apartheid state and Libya gave up its nuclear ambitions, the only relevant issue with respect to Africas role in the spread of nuclear weapons is the question of who has access to Africas abundant supply of uranium. Denying access to African uranium to “rogue states” and terrorist organizations is an important foreign policy objective of any American government, including the Obama administration.

Major Challenges of Governance in Africa Today

In a critical study of the postcolonial state in Africa, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja examines four major challenges of democratic and developmental governance in the continent. This is done in a comprehensive analysis of nation building as a process of consolidating democratic rights through the rule of law, full citizenship, and access to a higher standard of living for all. In order to meet these three challenges, the challenge of state capacity building for effective governance must be met as well. This requires democratizing the state, modernizing the civil service, cleaning up and retraining revenue collection agencies, transforming law enforcement agencies from repressive to protective services, and strengthening economic and social development agencies for purposes of eradicating poverty.