The history of African leadership is replete with policies, decisions, and actions that seem to work against the collective interests of their citizens while favouring foreign powers. From economic mismanagement to strategic collusion with the West, African leaders have often been complicit in perpetuating the continent’s underdevelopment. Unlike Western governments that formulate policies with long-term development goals for their people, African leadership has often acted in ways that undermine progress, leaving the continent rich in resources but poor in governance.
Economic policies that harm the populace
One of the most glaring examples of Africa’s economic mismanagement is Nigeria’s petroleum industry. Despite being the largest oil producer in Africa, Nigeria still imports refined petroleum products at exorbitant costs. This absurdity stems from deliberate policies designed to keep the country dependent on Western refineries. In 2022, Nigeria spent over $23.3 billion importing refined fuel (OPEC Statistical Bulletin, 2023). A situation that could have been avoided had the government prioritized functional local refineries.
Similarly, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), home to over 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves, sees its mineral wealth extracted by Western multinational corporations under exploitative agreements. In 2018, The New York Times published an exposé “titled The Cobalt Pipeline (Frankel, 2018), detailing how U.S. and European companies benefit immensely from DRC’s resources while local communities remain impoverished.
Another example is Ghana’s cocoa industry. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire together produce over 60% of the world’s cocoa, yet they earn only a fraction of the global chocolate industry’s profits, which exceed $100 billion annually (Fairtrade Foundation, 2022). Western chocolate companies dictate prices, while African farmers live in poverty. Instead of investing in local processing industries, African governments allow raw cocoa beans to be exported cheaply, perpetuating dependency.
Collusion with Western interests
France’s control over African economies through the CFA franc is another testament to African leaders’ deliberate failure. The currency, used by 14 African nations, is controlled by the French Treasury, ensuring that a significant portion of Africa’s wealth remains in French hands. In his book Africa’s Last Colonial Currency: The CFA Franc story (Koutonin, 2019), the author highlights how African leaders continue to uphold this neocolonial structure, depriving their nations of economic autonomy.
The complicity of African leaders in selling off national assets to foreign entities is evident in Zambia’s copper industry. The privatization of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) in the 1990s was done under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The result? Foreign firms now control the country’s most valuable resource, with little benefit trickling down to Zambians (Fraser & Lungu, For Whom the Windfalls? The Privatization of Zambia’s Copper Mines, 2007).
Aid dependency and unsavoury loans
Africa remains a beggar continent despite its immense natural wealth. According to the World Bank, African countries received over $59 billion in foreign aid in 2021, yet the continent remains underdeveloped. Loans from China under the Belt and Road Initiative have further entrapped African nations in debt. In Kenya, the Mombasa port is at risk of being taken over by China due to defaulted loans used to construct the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) (Reuters, 2022). Instead of negotiating deals that favour local economies, African leaders have accepted terms that prioritize foreign interests.
Angola provides another case of bad leadership and economic mismanagement. Former President José Eduardo dos Santos ruled for 38 years while amassing vast personal wealth. His government borrowed extensively from China, with little to show in terms of infrastructure or development. Today, much of Angola’s oil revenue is used to service Chinese loans, leaving the population in poverty (Hodges, Angola: Anatomy of an Oil State, 2004).
Political decisions that undermine development
A classic case of African leadership failure is Zimbabwe’s land reform policy under Robert Mugabe. While land redistribution was necessary, the manner in which it was executed led to economic collapse, hyperinflation, and mass unemployment. Meanwhile, countries like Botswana have effectively managed land reforms without causing economic disaster (Acemoglu & Robinson, Why Nations Fail, 2012).
In South Sudan, leaders have failed to establish a stable government since gaining independence in 2011, despite the country’s vast oil reserves. Instead of investing in infrastructure and public services, political elites have been embroiled in corruption scandals and ethnic conflicts that have stunted national growth (De Waal, The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa, 2015).
Guinea’s bauxite industry is another example of leadership failure. Guinea holds the world’s largest bauxite reserves, crucial for aluminium production. Yet, despite signing multi-billion-dollar mining contracts with Western and Chinese companies, little of this wealth benefits the local population. Infrastructure remains poor, and unemployment is high while foreign companies extract the resources (Human Rights Watch, “What Do We Get Out of It?”: The Human Rights Impact of Bauxite Mining in Guinea, 2018).
The need for deliberate leadership
African leaders must be intentional about policy-making, governance, and economic planning. The West, despite having fewer natural resources, thrives on strategic leadership. Africa must do the same. Leaders must:
1. Invest in local industries to process raw materials within the continent.
2. Negotiate fair trade agreements that benefit African economies.
3. Reject exploitative loans and foreign aid that perpetuate dependency.
4. Foster transparency and accountability in governance.
Until African leadership becomes deliberate in working for the people rather than for personal gain, the continent will remain trapped in a cycle of underdevelopment. As Chinua Achebe aptly put it in The Trouble with Nigeria (1983), “The problem with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” This statement extends beyond Nigeria—it is the unfortunate reality of the entire continent.