Underdevelopment in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Underdevelopment in Africa - Essay Example Underdevelopment in Africa Africa suffers persistent underdevelopment. Waiting 120 years, however, is hardly a feasible option. A solution is needed but solutions are dependant upon understanding the causes of persistent underdevelopment in Africa. A critical analysis of the situation indicates that while there is no single cause for persistent underdevelopment in Africa, corruption and totalitarian dictatorships may be identified as the primary causes. Within Africa, the legacy of colonialism is the most popular explanation for the continent's continuing underdevelopment. Certainly, as J. Brea (2008) explains, colonialism with its tendency for the "haphazard" division of territories and creation of states, not to mention its exploitation of the continent's natural resources, is a factor in Africa's underdevelopment (para. 1). In essence, the haphazard creation of nations is at the root if the failed state phenomenon which several African nations suffer from and, as such, is a root cause of political instability and hence, the inability to implement economic development policies (Brea, 2008). Nevertheless, it is hardly the primary cause of continued underdevelopment. Continued underdevelopment in Africa and the continent’s persistent failure to improve its economic status is primarily due to corruption, enabled by absolute totalitarian dictatorships. As Senyo Adjilbolosoo (2005) argues, Africa has received billions of dollars in aid and foreign investment during the post-colonial period.