Challenges in African Development

Tesfaye Lemma

Many scholars argue that Africa is ever rising considering its economic development in the past ten consecutive years.  The continuous rise in infrastructure investment as the spending on  it has doubled over the past decade.

In fact, African’s economy is moving forward. Studies indicated that the continent achieved average real annual GDP growth of 5.4% between 2000 and 2010.

According to Africa Economic Forum 2016 (AEF 2016), the continents productivity grew at a compound annual rate of 1.7 percent over 2005 to 2010.

“Between 2010 and 2014, services generated 48% of Africa’s GDP growth, up from 44% in the preceding decade.  Growth in Africa’s manufacturing sector has been low at 4.3% a year between 2010 and 2014, but utilities and construction achieved significant expansion to ensure that industry overall generated 23% of Africa’s growth, up from 17% in the preceding decade. Resources made a negative 4% contribution to growth between 2010 and 2014, compared with a positive direct contribution of 12% during the previous decade,” (AEF 2016).

Africa   has had some success in creating jobs 21 million new stable jobs over the past five years, and 53 million over the past fifteen years. There is growth of stable job growth at a rate of 3.8 percent between 2000 and 2015.

The United Nations has also reported the rising of African economy. It stated that productivity in cities is three times as high as in rural areas and over the next decade, an additional 187 million Africans will live in cities. As the same time household consumption grew at a 4.2 percent compound annual rate between 2010 and 2015 faster than the continent’s GDP growth rate.

The issue of rising economy has witnessed by a lot of international and continental economic organizations. It is evident that the African economy is progressing. There are hopes that it will grow at the same rate in the years ahead. In connection to this fact, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that Africa will be the second-fastest growing region in the world between 2016 and 2020 with annual growth rate of 4.3 percent.

However, its economic growth could be challenged by various problems. Absence of peace and stability could be one of the major challenges for this rising economy. Nowadays, there are a number of African countries are in chaos. They are in a conflicting instable situation. This could highly retard the forward move of the continent. According to AEF 2016, the continent’s growth slowed down to 3.3 percent a year between 2010 and 2015 due to the Arab spring in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

Another evident testimony that is expected to challenge the rising African economy could be the disharmony among all states in the continent even for significant continental interests. The disaccord among those states for mutual development could challenge the sustainability of the economic growth.  Unfair differences and rifts have observed among the African countries so far in various continental interests.  For instance, in the recent summit of the African Heads of States, there was an agenda concerning the mass withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, Senegal and Nigeria failed to accept the consensus reached by all other African States.

These kinds of disharmony could also be reflected at regional levels. For example, there is no harmony in handling the crises in South Sudan among all countries in the region. Countries like Eritrea and Egypt need to use the rift between the South Sudanese rivals as a room for their unfair national interests in connection to Ethiopia.

In the same token, there was also disaccord in supporting the revival of peace and stability in Somalia. Despite the relentless efforts by countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti to support the effort of the Africa Union to bring lasting peace in that country, there are still countries in Africa that have been busy of escalating the conflicting situation via supporting al-Shabab.

Another disparity ate regional level that could significantly affect the continental peace struggle could be difference in harnessing common natural resources among countries in the Nile Basin. The failure of some of the countries in the basin to honestly cooperate in a new development framework for fair and equal utilization of the Nile Waters could not only be a treat to regional development but also a treat to regional peace and stability.

The African Union has to go a long way to avoid such contradictory interests in issues very important to the progress of the continent. There must be a mechanism that the Union could apply to enforce some conventions. AUC has to devise a system in which it could win the support of all countries in the continent mainly in connection to ensuring peace and economic growth, which were challenged by self centered attitudes.

Lack of internal peace and stability in some African countries could largely aggravate continental stability. The situations in Sudan, South Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Eritrea, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria could be typical examples. There are problems in these countries and that could contribute in retarding the entire peace of the continent. However, all African countries should realize their internal peace and stability and join the rally for continental harmony.

According to Agenda 2063 “Mechanisms for peaceful prevention and resolution of conflicts will be functional at all levels. As a first step, dialogue-centered conflict prevention and resolution will be actively promoted in such a way that by 2020 all guns will be silent. A culture of peace and tolerance shall be nurtured in Africa’s children and youth through peace education”.

If Africa is to integrate economically, there should be lasting peace and stability in the entire continent. However, this needs much effort and political commitment.  The impact of terrorists is another influential factor retarding the continent’s progress. That is why the new chairman of the African Union Commission stressed on security issues while addressing the Heads of States.

The efforts to ensure peace and stability in the continent have remained being a serious challenge to African countries. It has become uneasy to ensure a peaceful, safe, secure environment, contributing to human security and reducing fragility, foster political stability and effective governance; thereby, ensuring sustainable, inclusive growth.

Enhancing political dialogue on peace, justice, and reconciliation to implement common approaches to the peace and security challenges in Africa would be so crucial. It demands to strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture by improving coordination at regional and continental levels.

Since February 2007, the United Nations Security Council authorized the African Union to deploy the African Union Mission in Somalia in order to promote long-term peace, security and effective governance in that country.  The intention was to encourage Africans to resolve their problems by themselves. It is impossible for other continents or developed countries to ensure peace in the African continent unless African themselves have become committed to resolve their own problems.

In fact, there is consensus among many African Heads of States in most of the continents basic interests but these decisions have not been accepted anonymously. There is a dominant reflection of self-centrism instead of thinking continental wise. For instance, the problem in Somalia persisted for years due to lack of both political commitments and concern to regional and continental peace   among all countries in the region.