Assessing the Effects of Poor Governance on the Development of Africa

Even today, in the 21st century, droughts and famine are common in Africa due to poor governance.  A continent that perhaps has the greatest agricultural potential in the world, suffers from unpredictable weather patterns and pro-longed drought periods.  This results in the displacement of people, depletion of grain reserves, and loss of livelihoods for a great number of people (especially those that live along the southern coast of Africa).  The resulting famine caused by this phenomena hinders African growth significantly; it slows down development and affects the ability of future generations to battle from a malnourished childhood and better living standards as adults.  This cycle is detrimental to the growth and development of African nations. The worst part is that these problems are not beyond the scope and resources of the local African governments.  With adequate policy-making and implementation from the political class to the civil service in African...

Unemployment is a problem which plagues societies across the globe and the countries within Africa are no different in this regard. The government plays a large role in employment due to their ability to dictate policies and influence the labor markets through either legislation or investment. The problem in countries throughout Africa is that there is a disconnect in the younger and older generations when it their views on policies and organizations making decisions regarding their employment. The government faces a multitude of challenges when approaching the problem of unemployment. They have to unify the work force, invest in education and entrepreneurship, and make sure that fair wages are being offered so that people can support their families properly and not resort to other illegal methods for making an income. Growth of the economy is a foremost priority in any developing country and it is no different for the countries in Africa. Countries should invest in their youth as they...

Corruption, as discussed in this entry, refers to the act of elected officials breaking the laws for their own benefit or to fulfill their own interest.  According to an article by CNN, the most common types of corruption include bribery and extortion in addition to the allocation of public resources for the purpose of self political benefits.  Corruption, in many African countries, is the manner in which many decisions are made.  As a result of this, public officials influence economic and social decisions in detriment of the entire society.  This not only results in social and economic inefficiency, but also high transaction costs for society.  Additionally, biased decisions made by African politicians result in distortion of transparent and normal market operations, which creates insecurity for potential investors.  A weak tax base supports and fuels this corrupt political system.  However, corrupt decisions made by these officials is what causes th...