CAUSES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
The underdevelopment in Africa is being accounted for by the following factors.
SELF – DEFEATISM:
This is one of the major causes of underdevelopment. This is because there are several technological activities that can be done by Africans. But because of self – defeatism, most of us tend to entertain a stagnant belief that the whites are superior and therefore see the activities that they carry out as a sort of miracle that we cannot understand. Some of us even looked at it as a sort of witchcraft hence cannot be done by us Africans. Some people will even say” If my great grand parents were not able develop Africa, am I the one who would be able?”
LACK OF RESPONSIBILTY:
As it is often said that most workers fail to perform well just because they lack responsibility, most Africans have failed to realize that they have the responsibility to develop their own continent. Instead they sit and fold their arms waiting for the whites to come and develop their continent for them.
NEGLIGENCE:
Due to the persistent underdevelopment of Africa, most Africans have assumed it impossible for the continent to ever develop. Because of this, they prefer to carry out their investment elsewhere rather than in the said Africa which to them will never develop. They do not knowing that in order for the continent to develop, it must begin from somewhere and must be initiated by us the Africans.
SELFISH PECUNIARY MOTIVE:
There also exists the problem of selfish pecuniary motive. Most Africans do believe in financial status so much so that they do not longer think about technological and social development. They base their minds on how to get money and not on how to develop the immediate environment. This problem has reached it climax where people go to school because they need money to cater for themselves not taking into consideration the improvement he/she has to do for his country in particular and continent at large. Because of this, once an African is financially buoyant, he/she finds it useless to continue with education and will always say “School is for those who are looking for money. Therefore, when someone has the money what then is the need of going to school?”
LONG TERM LEADERSHIP:
This is another pertinent problem hindering adequate development in Africa. It should be noted that once a person becomes a leader, he/she will setup an order of development depending on his/her personal view and that of closer collaborators. The sole priority will be to obtain his/her set objective which must be limited. When this objective is attained within particular interval of time, there will be no set objectives to be attained for his/her set objectives have been executed to a limit. If leadership continues for a very long time, the area of jurisdiction will not be able to obtain variety of objectives based on the ideas of different leaders. This can lead to a delay in the acquisition of new ideas hence retarding development.
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION:
There exist the problem of bribery and corruption that has been the canker-warm eating up our continent resulting to chaos. Impeccably speaking, the issue of bribery and corruption has led to the wrongful ownership of position. Due to this aspect, those who are qualified to work are not given the opportunity to express their worth, skill and potentials, jobs are sold to some of the people who are not qualified which is prejudicial to the development of Africa.
This problem has been so intense that some people who are supposed to serve as pillars and doyens of good morality are those perpetrating the set acts.
The question now is: ”Who is to punish who?”
HOW AFRICA CAN BE DEVELOPED
It is now the time for all of us Africans to realize that all are born equal, so what so ever can be done by the white can also be done by us Africans as “God made man from his own image and he did not say white or black”, said Lucky Dube.
Those technological development done by the whites should not be judged at the level of witchcraft but should be considered as a challenge. We the Africans just need to believe in ourselves and make things happen as with God all things are possible. If we cannot invent new ideas, we should at least be able to copy. If this is taken into consideration then the problem of self – defeatism will be eliminated.
Economics has defined specialization of labour as the act of allocating an employer to execute the job he knows best. Therefore, dispensation should be given to specialists in a particular field. This will increase efficiency of production and development. If this is done, the problem of bribery and corruption will be limited and development will be facilitated.
Change of leadership means a change in ideas and the coming in of new ideas that will contribute tremendously to the development of our continent. More leaders mean more ideas as two heads are better than one.
There is a saying that, “use what you have to get what you want.” However, that has not been so in Africa just because of the lack of responsibility. Africa should realize that the future of the continent lies in their own hands and it is our responsibility to make the future of Africa bright.
It should be noted that aspiring and waiting is not the way of doing things. If you aspire, you must work towards the set objective.
Africans should also embark on the spirit of cooperation for when there is cooperation, there is unity and hence the sharing of ideas will obviously lead to concrete decisions. It’s therefore imperative for Africans to amalgamate and work with one another as this will lead to unity and social integration.
The search for money has terribly made Africans fail to realize the extreme importance of education to the development of our continent. “Education is the leading of human souls to what is best and making what is best out of them.” Said John Ruskin. Therefore, the priority of development is education and not money, for education implies money which is irreversible.
It is true that due to our present initial low level of education, people go to school and end up having nothing to show for it. But on the other hand, we must study for development to take place. If we fail to study because of the present level, it means we are assuming the status of “A-Never-Developed World”. Hence we must think positively no matter the present situation in order to attain a better tomorrow.
Defeat should not be a source of discouragement but a fresh stimulus. Therefore, the fact that Africa has not developed does not mean it can never develop. It is how far and not how fast that matter.
I therefore encourage us all Africans to believe and have faith in ourselves. We have to work extremely hard to meet up with the development goals of Africa rather than neglecting the continent, for there is no time to stand and stare.
Home-based investments should be highly encouraged, for inventions are due to hard work. The Africans should acknowledge the fact that our progress as a continent can be no swifter than our progress in education.
This goes to the youths in particular.
“To your tender and loving hands, the future of the continent is entrusted.”
“To your innocent hands, the pride of the nations is enshrined.”
“On your scholastic development, the salvation of the continent is dependent.”
Remember, every one of you that “You carry the future of the continent in your own hands.”
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