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Towards the Ascension of Economic Development

Ethnocentrism is one of the most pressing problems today in many poor countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of ethnicities by politicians for their own benefit has made it very difficult for citizens of the same country to work together for the perspective of their common good. In this regard, the lack of social cohesion is indeed a worrying problem as each ethnic group wants its people to be in power, which makes clientelism vital to access power. The problem does not end there, because while the ruling ethnic group may be working in the interest of the country, the frustrated ethnic groups will do everything in their power to thwart these efforts. This process will continue from generation to generation as long as ethnostrategy continues to be an essential tool for gaining power in these nations.

Although poor countries are responsible for many of their actions, poor countries face certain adversities that do not allow them to climb the ladder of economic development. Among the many obstacles that do not promote the development of poor countries are: the circle of poverty, physical geography, fiscal problems, governance failures, lack of innovation, demographic problems, and cultural and trade barriers. Each of these adversities is complex and requires real effort to overcome.

On the issue of foreign aid, over the years, it has been proven that the countries that have received more aid have not grown faster than the rest of the recipients. This should not be interpreted as if the aid does not work at all. However, to help poor countries, we need to understand them and help them in the way they see fit. Therefore, if we are to continue to provide foreign aid to these countries, donors must be prepared to fund bold ideas in poor countries.

When it comes to education, many believe that free education is a path to progress in poor countries. Education plays a vital role in the development of a nation. It is in this spirit that schools are free in most countries, especially in poor countries. However, the existence of free public schools does not mean that students attend or receive a quality education. The rate of child absenteeism is very high in poor countries, which is due to various reasons. It should not be forgotten that the poorest of the poor live in isolated rural communities. These areas are the most affected by the lack of critical infrastructure.

To address this problem, we should have an education system that is not necessarily free because people most often enjoy what they pay for. But, if education is to be free, we need to have a mechanism that encourages students to come to school. Again, this will require fighting poverty. In this regard, the government should direct a substantial part of its social spending towards the accumulation of human capital, which will reach the poorest of the poor and bring about change.

Coup D'Etat

Societies do indeed have conflicts because they are inherent to politics. Today, it is no secret that Africa is the epicenter of coups, which are mainly due to low incomes and slow growth, among others. Recurrent coups in sub-Saharan Africa are no surprise. Currently, many governments are more threatened by coups than by rebellions. While the military is there to defend the government, many governments are unsurprisingly afraid of their armies. Once a country pays for a coup, it is much more likely to have other coups. Here are illustrations of some of the coups in sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria (1966, 1975, 1983, 1985, 1993), Mali (1968, 1991, 2012, 2020, 2021) and Burkina (1966, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1989, 2015, 2022), among others. We find ourselves stuck in a pattern of violent protests within the government. Political instability caused by coups harms economic development. Why do we still insist?

We are constantly reminded that change in any society, especially in poorer countries, must come from within and cannot be imposed on them. As a society, we must choose the type of nation we want for ourselves and future generations. Perhaps the challenge of our generation is to build a political system that will foster strong institutions and a path to socio-economic development.

Foreign Aid

Today, it is still the case that some scholars believe that the most efficient way of getting poor countries out of poverty is to give a large amount of foreign aid or double aid to underdeveloped countries. This approach is viewing the end of poverty as a matter of technical issues while disregarding all other aspects that might stop these countries from ending poverty.

Though it is a fact that large-scale intervention is not likely to succeed in underdeveloped countries, it is still in effect in these countries. However, in rich countries, small-partial reforms have been the source of progress over time. Another reason why aid has not been able to end poverty is aid agencies’ lack of transparency. Today, tied aid, food aid, and aid in the form of technical assistance have proven to be ineffective due to conditions and strings attached.

In Africa, higher foreign aid is associated with the deterioration of a recipient country’s institutions. The deterioration of institutions by foreign aid is indeed difficult to measure. However, countries that receive higher foreign aid tend to have a lower level of bureaucracy. It is also true that foreign aid discourages investment, and higher foreign aid means lower taxes in recipient countries.

However, foreign aid does not only have negative effects on underdeveloped countries. Foreign aid can have positive consequences on a country’s development. Perhaps, Botswana is the only country in Africa that shows that foreign aid is not bad for poor countries.

Despite the positive example of Botswana, foreign aid has done little to end poverty. To remedy the aid business problem, aid agencies must be transparent. Donors must be accountable to recipient countries, and recipient countries must have the liberty to use aid in their best interest rather than forcing them to adopt large-scale plans that do not work.