Political and economic liberalization in Africa : a critical review of trends and a capacity building proposal

Abstract

At the dawn of independence, many an African country entertained the hope of catching up with the technologically advanced economies of Western Europe, North America and, before the disintegration of the Soviet empire, the then USSR. As the leaders of the "emerging nations" thought, the only way to realize this dream was by establishing strong, centralized states - states capable of acting decisively in response to socio-political and economic challenges.