Africa: window of opportunity

From the African historical and contemporary experience, globalization is more of a jungle than a village. Rule of the jungle means the rule of might rather than right.
In order to survive in the global jungle, therefore, Africa must brave the threats while creating opportunities. Both require Africa to pool its sovereignty. If African Unity has floundered because of the misperception that Africa has can proceed slowly and gradually, that can no longer be defended.
The imperative of African unity has never been more compelling, urgent, and clear! It is not affection, gain or hegemony that necessitate unity. What faces Africa is the threat to its very survival. It is an existential threat.
If Nkrumah were writing his book today the title would read: ‘Africa Must Unite or Die’. Time is of the essence!
Globalization is intensifying and centralizing the exploitation of Africa’s resources while at the same time marginalizing Africa’s people and alienating them from their resources. Resource nationalism should not simply be aimed at control but also creating new opportunities with new partners such as ‘resources-for-technology’ deals with China and India.
Regionalization in Africa has been around for quite sometime without showing any meaningful results either in terms of promoting economic development or increasing political coherence. This is partly because the question of centralising political authority a la Nkrumah has been eschewed. So far the cart has been put before the horse.
From our experience it ought to be realised that political union or pooled sovereignty is the only effective strategy to realising economic transformation – not the other way round. It is only through this that regional planning and the creation of a new division of labour in Africa is possible. Trade integration must be replaced by production integration.
Revitalizing the economies of African countries is an urgent task. Over the years dynamic economic activity has been sacrificed on the altar of the structural adjustment policies. Excessive preoccupation with macro-economic stability has diverted policy attention from the producer and has failed to stimulate domestic consumption. That is why agriculture is criminally neglected.
It is the revitalization of agriculture which can stimulate domestic consumption through increased incomes to farmers. Revitalization not only refers to the development of the forces of production but also diversifying the composition of the agricultural product.
In brief the combination of deepening poverty, resource depletion, social fragmentation and community polarization has fuelled many of the conflicts in the continent. Legitimate government by consenting citizens is being replaced by minimalist rule of law and outright coercion. Africa needs a vision that can reinvigorate the people, restore hope and confidence gives them a sense of direction to brave the future.
Given the collapsing markets and secularly declining prices for commodities Africa needs either new markets or new commodities. It will have to do both and in both cases looking East rather than west.