Exploring African Political Party Leaders’ Roles in The Underdevelopment: African Continent in Perspective

Abstract

The paper explores African political party leaders’ roles in the continent’s underdevelopment. The continent’s underdevelopment is sparking Africans’ migration to the Western world for better lives, and democratic governments overthrown are becoming ‘unprecedented’. Grounded in good governance and institution theory, specific emphasis of this study is better use of scarce resources to ensure development. A focus on this area is what sets this study apart from similar research. After conducting a meta-study of the relevant qualitative information, my findings reveal challenges such as bad leadership, bad governance, corruption, and inefficient political institutions retard development. Though, few countries on the continent are strengthening democratic institutions much needs to be done. The continent is in dire need of competent, robust and dynamic leaders to steer its affairs to sustainable development. Political leaders must be committed and willing to improve the lives of the people not to serve their interests. Terms of office of political leaders must be limited to avoid weakening of state institutions, constitution amendment, dictatorship and autocracy. The paper identified democratic principles and values namely; scrutiny of political leaders and government policies, rule of law, vibrant economic policies and capacity building among the civil servants needs to be improved. Political institutions should be independent and devoid of political interference. Checks and balances in the judiciary, executive and parliament must be nurtured. Citizens’ participation must be enhanced through accountability and transparency. Overall, the paper argues that African leaders’ desire to get-rich-quick syndromes affects developments of the continent. The paper recommends that Africans should adopt their means to solve their problems, rather than, seeking assistance from outside the continent since solutions cannot be ‘one size fits all’. African political leaders should display a commitment to infrastructural development and invest in human resources, especially in the field of science education.