Category: AfSol Publication

Several governance discourses on Africa are fraught with lamentations about how Africa is being manipulated to remain dependent on the Global North (and more recently, parts of the Global East). This viewpoint is complemented by assertions on why Africa should instead isolate itself in order to be self-reliant, giving no room for external influence. This stands in counterpose to the globalist prescription which argues that Africa’s development lies only in its greater integration into the global political economy, resulting in various forms of dependence on and interdependence with other systems outside Africa. Seen from some perspectives, each of these positions is an extreme option and the pull towards either of them results in tension. But how practical and sustainable is isolationism in the massively globalized and almost technologically borderless 21st century in which several existential challenges are shared across continents? Additionally, how best can Africa manage the fears of vulnerability and the need for interdependence in the same century of increased options for the continent’s self-reliance? This paper demonstrates how more agency in governance is necessary for a careful management of the tension between dependence and self-reliance in 21st century Africa. It argues that the degree of dependence, vulnerability and self-reliance of Africa varies from one sector to another, with the implication that to manage the perceived tension, Africa needs to (i) maximize obvious opportunities of self-reliance without waiting on external assistance; (ii) accept its vulnerability, weakness and dependence when those are the only available options; and (iii) leverage available opportunities of interdependence and partnership.