Africa‘the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty’.

Presumptuously speaking, Africa is the poorest continent in the

world, and this is believed to have been initiated by the ignorant
chiefs that sold their subjects into slavery, down to the
contemporary corrupt politicians and leaders. However, and most
importantly, the aspiration for development should unhinge the
despairing thought found wondering in the mind of an average youth
of black African descent. It should be noted that the younger
generationthe future of tomorrow, owe an obligation to remedy the
mistakes of their descendants, as well as accept the fact that
everyone has a part to play in the development of his or her
society. This boils down to the words of Steve Biko‘You are
either alive and proud or you are dead, and when you are dead, you
can’t care anyway’.

First of all, we would begin by taking a stroll down memory lane.

According to history, Africa was believed to have been well
structured and organized before the arrival of the European
explorers and missionaries. Nonetheless, this period also marked
the beginning of slaverysix centuries of unproductiveness and
disorganization on the detriment of Africa, and on the other hand,
a period of mass accumulation of wealth through Mercantilism and
Imperialism in favor of Western Europe. In the same vein, ‘the
west’ and the rest of the world interacted and developed through
different stages, forming what is now called ‘The Global Economy’.
As a result, Africa’s anergy and inability to contribute
effectively has pushed her at the back, therefore attracting the
gloomy and displeasing features of poverty.

Furthermore, some of the mishaps presently encountered are the

direct causes of her own people, hence directly stimulating
impoverishment as well. A clear illustration is the deeds of
corrupt leaders which leads to bad governance, civil wars,
embezzlement of funds, and so on. Consequently, other unavoidable
traits like; urbanization, illiteracy, poor health services,
malnutrition, defective pension schemes, unemployment, AIDS and
malaria, among others, have blended with the contracting forces of
globalization, which has caught Africa unprepared, giving her no
chance of survival.
Moreover, given that the present generation has failed and the only
hope lies on the younger generations, there are certain elements
that should be realized, including the dynamics of which the global
economics evolves. There should also be a structured outline of
responsibilities assigned to the peoples of the continent both home
and abroad; and on the other hand, unto the leaders upon whom power
and authority resides. Thus, based on empirical research, culture
and nationalism has been paramount in the growth of the rapidly
developing economies of China, India, Japan, South Korea, et
cetera. The credit is largely owed to the patriotic citizens of
these countries, and there is no harm in imitating their pattern of
development. In the same way, the African culture contains certain
disciplinal morals that can be used as a yardstick for personal
development, which would affect the various institutions of growth.
It follows that teachings such as: faith in God, respect for older
people, et cetera, fosters cooperation and discipline based on a
common value. Faith in God also reinvigorates hope, therefore
always causing a ‘win-win’ situation. On the other hand,
nationalism in its most abstract form directs a positive force
towards the development of a particular target. The most suitable
example is London, dubbed, ‘The Financial City of London’. This is
a region well cherished and everything would be done to protect its
image and enhance its importance in the global economy, likewise,
the effort put towards its development would payoff, benefiting the
country as a whole. Totting up, migrants’ remittances would also
help in the development of ‘the dark continent’. Hence, a lot of
Africans are beyond the boundaries of the continent; sending money
to the continent would increase the flow of cash, therefore
improving the standard of living of the masses involved.

At the ‘state-level’, a good government revolves around good

governance and democracy, encouraging lesser use of arbitrary power
and corruption; as well as promote cooperation between the state
and the public sector. Also, the state is responsible for the
provision of a physical platform for development, which includes:
low import tax on farming implements and production equipment;
micro-credit loan for farmers, to provide a conducive atmosphere
for farming in the rural area; provision of education, good
healthcare services and pension schemes; provision of good road
networks, and Information and Communication Technology(ICT);
investment in natural and human resources, and generally create a
conducive environment for Foreign Direct investment(FDI). Along
these lines, protectionist laws should be available to protect
local industries from large multinational corporations, because the
manufacturing power of a developing economy sets it off for
development.

All in all, as earlier stated, the pursuit of development is the

responsibility of the youths to take up; having it in mind during
their course of life. The old adage goes: ‘if you don’t know where
you are from, you wouldn’t know where you are going’it is the
African’s responsibility to make sure Africa is doing well. In
relations to globalization, it should be faced confidently, rather
than reluctantly, knowing that it is a struggle between the rich
and poor, motivated by the covetousness of man and the limited
resources available; and unless reasonableness and rationality is
realized, the world would never become a better place.