NEPAD: Continuing the Disconnections in Africa?(New Partnership for Africa's Development) (Viewpoint Essay)

ABSTRACT This paper relay on the history of developmental economics in Africa and will discuss NEPAD in the light of Africa's experience in development initiatives. Here, our position is floated on the logic that capitalism is a market driven principle based on price mechanism that thrives on open/free competition among overt profit seekers. At the micro level, this is expressed among competing entrepreneurs, and at the macro level its expressed among nations; hence the importance given by nations to the 'balance of payments', 'terms of trade' and the value exchange rate of competing national currencies in the world market. What is Africa's position? Where is Africa's development space? NEPAD? The position put forward here is that any developmental programme that alienates the African elite and populace and does not send the African workforce into production (from self-sustenance into commercial purposes) or challenge her intellectuals and local entrepreneurs to connect for the purpose of providing the superstructure for local self-development is bound to leave Africa where it has been. Indeed, NEPAD, the way it is now, will bury Africa deeper in her unbefitting grave; unless it is further indigenised both in its conception of what 'development' should be in Africa, and the pragmatics to 'development'.