Fragile states / Comment
The Failure and Collapse of the African State: on the Example of Nigeria
14/09/2007 By John Emeka Akude
Africa was forced into modern state-making through the processes of imperialism and colonialism, processes that marginally integrated African states into the international political economy, primarily in the interest of the colonising states, as victuallers of raw materials for industrial production and markets for these products.
Successful decolonisation implied the transfer of political power to a political elite that was born and red in colonial practices, structures, ethos and, invariably, interests.
Thus, the protection of their class interests, which implied the maintenance of the colonial ethos and interests, precluded any moves towards altering the marginal position of African states in the international politico-economic system.
This had debilitating consequences for economic development and state institutional capacity and stability as this elite exploited state power to compensate for the lack of a material resource base, which in turn resulted from the commanding structures of their economies being controlled by fi rms from the colonising and other foreign states.
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Keywords
Failed states Nigeria West AfricaBio author: John Emeka Akude
