AN APPRAISAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL CRISES IN AFRICA: LESSONS FROM THE ASIAN TIGERS

Abstract

This study compares Africa’s developmental crises with those of Asian ’Tigers’ success economic story, and how it can serve as a lesson for Africa, still trudging on development. The work observes, contrary to all pretenses that Africa, in spite of her much publicized theoretical ambition for development, is still caught in the web of under-development. It examines the various obstacles to Africa’s development and identified them as systemic pathological defects. The paper argues Asian Tigers that shared similar experiences with Africa have moved away from underdevelopment and poverty to rival the levels of prosperity in the Global North. Using data generated from secondary sources and comparative method of analysis, the paper articulates that; Africa’s developmental challenges such as bribery and corruption, bad governance, weak political institutions and undemocratic values are serious, real and many but could be meet through improvement on governance. The paper noted that today, African leaders still excusably blame the failure of the region on its colonial past. While these features cannot be said to be the libel of
Asia Tigers. Interesting, they are now in revolt against bondages of the past, against poverty, ignorance disease, under-development and dependency syndrome. In light of the above finding, a major institutional reform is needed to achieve sustainable development in Africa.