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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 1
GOOD GOVERNANCE, ECONOMIC POLICY, AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY & PARTNERSHIP WILL ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT CONDITION IN AFRICA, DISCUSS GHANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE SDM 201222101028 DEVELOPMENT CONDITION IN AFRICA LECTURER: MR CHRIS WORD COUNT: 2,720
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 2 Table of Content
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Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Development ……………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Good Governance ………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Characteristics of Good Governance …………………………………………………………… 5 Good Governance and Development in Africa ………………………………………………… 6 Economic Policy ……………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Functions of Economic Policy …………………………………………………………………. 7 Economic Policy and Development in Africa ………………………………………………….. 8 Agricultural Technology ……………………………………………………………………….. 8 Agricultural Technology and Development in Africa ………………………………………….. 9 Partnership ………………………………………………………………………………………10 Partnership and Development in Africa …………………………………………………………11 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………... 13 Reference ………………………………………………………................................................. 14
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 3 Introduction The African economy remains developing and underdeveloped in some nations despite decades of conceptualizing, formulating and implementing various types of economic policies and programs. The development challenges of Africa are deeper than low income, falling trade shares, low savings, and slow growth. In addition, they include high inequality, uneven access to resources, social exclusion, insecurity, environmental degradation, health pandemics, among others. In order to reverse underdevelopment in Africa, several initiatives have been attempted in the past. These include: (Anthony Baah, 2003), “The Lagos Plan of Action for the economic development of Africa 1980-2000; Africa’s Priority program for Economic Recovery 1986 -1990 (APPER) which later became UN Program of Action for Africa’s Economic Recovery and Development (UN-PAAERD) (1986); The African Alternative Framework to Structural Adjustment Program for Socio-Economic Recovery and Transformation (AAF-SAP) 1989; The African Charter for Popular Participation for Development (1990); and The UN New Agenda for Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF, 1991)”. These efforts, to a large extent, have not been implemented. The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the latest African development initiative, a merger of the Millennium Action Plan for African Recovery Program (MAP), the Omega Plan and the New Compact with Africa, representing an additional step towards anchoring development in the collective vision & commitment of African leaders. This paper aims to show how good governance, economic policies, agricultural technology & partnership would lead to economic transformation through which development condition in Africa can be enhanced. Keywords: Good Governance, Economic Policy, Technology, Partnership
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 4 Development From the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary (Oxford University, 2016), development is “the gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced, stronger, etc. It is state in which things are improving; the act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining”. Good Governance In order to grasp fully the concept of good governance, on has to first understand the science or art of governance on its own. From the Business Dictionary, (WebFinance, Inc; , BusinessDictionary;, 2016) Governance is “the establishment of policies, and continuous monitoring of their proper implementation, by the members of the presiding body of an organization”. It includes the mechanisms required to balance the powers of the members (with the associated accountability), and their primary duty of enhancing the prosperity and viability of the organization. Good governance on the other hand is about the processes for making and implementing decisions. It’s not about making ‘correct’ decisions, but about the best possible process for making those decisions. Good decision-making processes, and therefore good governance, share several characteristics. All have a positive effect on various aspects of local government including consultation policies and practices, meeting procedures, service quality protocols, councilor and officer conduct, role clarification and good working relationships (MAV; , VLGA; LGV; LGPro;, 2012). Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced by an impartial regulatory body, for the full protection of stakeholders (Governance Pro ©, 2010).
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 5 Characteristics of Good Governance 1. Rule of Law: Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced by an impartial regulatory body, for the full protection of stakeholders. 2. Transparency: Transparency means that information should be provided in easily understandable forms and media; that it should be freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by governance policies and practices, as well as the outcomes resulting therefrom; and that any decisions taken and their enforcement are in compliance with established rules and regulations. 3. Responsiveness: Good governance requires that organizations and their processes are designed to serve the best interests of stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. 4. Consensus Oriented: Good governance requires consultation to understand the different interests of stakeholders in order to reach a broad consensus of what is in the best interest of the entire stakeholder group and how this can be achieved in a sustainable and prudent manner. 5. Equity and Inclusiveness: The organization that provides the opportunity for its stakeholders to maintain, enhance, or generally improve their well-being provides the most compelling message regarding its reason for existence and value to society. 6. Accountability: Accountability is a key tenet of good governance. Who is accountable for what should be documented in policy statements. In general, an organization is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions as well as the applicable rules of law. 7. Participation: Participation by both men and women, either directly or through legitimate representatives, is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation needs to be
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 6 informed and organized, including freedom of expression and assiduous concern for the best interests of the organization and society in general. Good Governance and Development in Africa In order for Africans to defend a program implemented by a nation’s government, they must be part of the decision-making process. Good governance enhances democracy as well as efficiency in the economy, and thus a repelling effect of development. Within each African country, this is important so that African people should claim ownership and inclusive participation in development. From the definition of good governance above, we have seen that the concept of good governance is rather about making the best possible process for making decisions, and not necessarily making ‘correct’ decisions. Thus, in relation and to its contribution to development in Africa having in mind the drawbacks of development, good governance aids in the following ways; a) Promotes Nations Confidence b) Improves Confidence in African Leaders c) Leads to Better Decisions d) Meets Legislative Responsibilities e) Supports Ethical Decision Economic Policy (Britannica, Encyclopædia Inc.; Assar , Lindbeck;, 2016) “Economic policy are measures by which a government attempts to influence the economy”. Economic policies are typically implemented and administered by the government. Examples of economic policies include decisions made about government spending and taxation, about the redistribution of income from
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 7 rich to poor, and about the supply of money. The national budget generally reflects the economic policy of a government, and it is partly through the budget that the government exercises its three principal methods of establishing control: the allocative function, the stabilization function, and the distributive function. Functions of Economic Policies 1. The Allocative Function: The allocative function in budgeting determines on what government revenue will be spent. Because a high proportion of national income is now devoted to public expenditure, allocation decisions become more significant in political and economic terms. 2. The Stabilization Function: Stabilization of the economy (e.g., full employment, control of inflation, and an equitable balance of payments) is one of the goals that governments attempt to achieve through manipulation of fiscal and monetary policies. Fiscal policy relates to taxes and expenditures, monetary policy to financial markets and the supply of credit, money, and other financial assets. 3. The Distributive Function: Virtually everything that a government does has some effect on the distribution of income or wealth at the various levels of society. The redistributive consequences of the governmental budget can be reflected in a variety of ways; sometimes they are explicit and sometimes they are cited in the debate that follows the presentation of a budget. Usually, however, these consequences are hidden, unintended, and imperfectly understood.
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 8 Economic Policy and Development in Africa As we know, Africa is a continent vast with resources (natural and human) but still backward in development. Economic policies play a huge role in the development of the African continent by putting in place frameworks to exploit our comparative advantage over other continents and guiding in the allocation, stabilization and distribution of our resource. Economic policies aid development via repelling effects of the following; 1. Economic Growth: Economic growth means that the incomes of all consumers and firms (after accounting for inflation) are increasing over time, due to policies that trigger job creation and income earnings for the unemployed surplus labor in African counties. 2. Full Employment: Indigenous policies provides full employment, allowing every member of the labor force who wants to work is able to find work, by so doing allow for the generation of income and thus revenue for African counties. 3. Price Stability: Well thought economic policies also prevent increases in the general price level known as inflation, as well as decreases in the general price level known as deflation in African counties. Agricultural Technology To fully comprehend the role of agriculture and technology in the development of Africa, one has to first understand the term agricultural technology. (Conjecture Corporation; , wiseGEEK;, 2003 - 2016), define “Agricultural technology as the tools and machinery that are used primarily or entirely in order to support agricultural enterprise. Examples include plows, threshers, and irrigation systems”. I’ll rather refer to agricultural technology as the totality of
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 9 farming techniques, technology for the production of machines used to facilitate farming, and machinery that are used primarily or entirely in order to support agricultural enterprise. Africa is vast with so much land space and fertile soil that the economy of African nations should capitalize on for their largest revenue generation but yet nations in Africa do very poor in their respective agricultural sectors. This is as a result of several factors; deficient or no effective agricultural policies, total concentration on other sectors of the economy and abandonment of that of agriculture, but also the inadequacy of agricultural technology. Agricultural Technology and Development in Africa Several African economies are dual-sectored (capitalist/industrial sector and subsistence/agricultural sector). In this present era in Africa, a declining percentage of farmers are saddled with the responsibility of feeding an outrageous and growing population. This is because the work force continually shifts from the agricultural sector to other sectors of African economy’s in search for a bigger income or wage, leaving the agricultural sector with insufficient labor force to an ever growing African population. (Development, Invested; Tamer, Christina ;, 2013) The innovation of Agricultural Technology can very well improve the development condition in Africa via the following way; 1. Meeting the Expected Profitability Condition: Agricultural technology may dramatically increase yields or agricultural output. 2. Efficient Farm Management and Resource Efficiency: A declining percentage of farmers in Africa have to produce more for a growing population. Fortunately, advances in technology can have significant impact. Further, a “whole farm approach” optimizes the farmer’s efficiency, including use of water, waste, soil, energy, and most importantly,
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 10 time. Precision agriculture technologies, for example, can optimize fertilizer applications, saving time and money by creating a more productive field, thus create more farm yield repelling to an increase in trade, economic growth and development. 3. Traceability: People want and need to know what’s in their food and where it comes from. This requires tools and processes that manage and monitor the flow of inputs. This would improve efficiency, product differentiation, food safety, and product quality. Further, traceability and transparency in the food supply benefits the farmer in the long run, by opening up opportunities to access credit and markets. 4. Supply Chain Efficiency: A third of the food produced annually is wasted. In Europe, food is wasted at the consumption stage. In Africa, food is wasted before it even reaches the consumer. Whatever way you look at it, the supply chain needs to become more efficient. 5. Better Working Environment: Agricultural technology improve farmers, animal, and consumer livelihood with better work environments, food safety, and food security. Partnership Development co-operation arose in the context of the Cold War, during the process of decolonization and the on-going nature of globalization. There has been a deliberate shift in the language of development co-operation over the last 50 years, which now encompasses terms such as “participation”, “empowerment”, “poverty reduction” (Cornwall A; Brock K;, 2006) and more recently “partnership”. While aid and charity may refer to a more unequal aid relationship, the term ‘partnership’ suggests equality, respect, reciprocity and ownership (Gutierrez, 2008). Yet, some partnerships can be abusive and unequal in practice, and the term continues to mean different things to different people, sectors and institutions.
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 11 (Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD], 2008) Partnership in development, is an association of two or more economy’s, businesses within/outside a country, or both (within & without) whose individual governments have agreed to combine or exchange their labor, assets, resources, and expertise, or some or all of them, for the purpose of engaging in activities (economic or otherwise) with both parties sharing gains and losses between them; in this definition the term activities includes every trade, occupation, and profession. Partnership and Development of Africa The role of economic development in a country cannot be over emphasize, the below point buttress my argument; 1. Contributes to Economic Growth: A group of diverse partnership within and outside a country contributes to economic development. These include both large and small businesses, nonprofit organizations, workforce and training organizations, universities, department staff, and many others. The role of partnerships in Economic development will likely bring change depending on the activity, so it is important in bringing about strategic project-by-project basis about the needs to be involved and the resources they bring to the table. 2. Collaboration: Partnerships role in Africa’s development also bring about Collaboration that are especially important given the increased complexity and diversity of interests in economic development. Harnessing the breadth of resources, knowledge, leadership, and skills of stakeholders that may not typically interact is essential for effective implementation of a country economic development strategy that partnership will bring to pass.
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 12 3. Fostering Relations Amongst Governments Involved: Another role of partnership in African development is by facilitating broader and deeper interaction among local government, business, the community, and economic development activities. Partnership can ensure that policy decisions will be in tune with all of the other work that is happening in the country to advance the country economic development goals. 4. Allows for Innovative thinking: Partnering businesses, nations, organizations in Africa allows for brain storming and sharing of innovative reasoning, thus paving a way for new development activities.
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 13 Conclusion In conclusion, there are various influential factors ensuring the development of Africa but looking at these four, GOOD GOVERNANCE; involving best practices of governing, ensuring a stable government, ECONOMIC POLICY; ensuring realistic and function-ability of a government with fiscal and monetary policies, AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY; fostering infrastructural advancement and a heightened capitalist system, not forgetting the subsistent sector of dual-sectored economy’s in Africa and lastly, PARTNERSHIP; strengthening bonds and fostering co-operation amongst businesses (internationally and local), organizations, firms and governments, a common phenomenon (GROWTH) can be noted cutting across each and translating for a rippling effect to DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA.
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 14 Reference
Anthony Baah. (2003). History of African Development Initiatives. Ghana Trades Union Congress. Johannesburg: Africa Labour Research Network. Retrieved May 3rd, 2016 Britannica, Encyclopædia Inc.; Assar , Lindbeck;. (2016). Government Economic Policy. Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.: http://www.britannica.com/topic/government-economic-policy Conjecture Corporation; , wiseGEEK;. (2003 - 2016). What is Agricultural Technology? (Conjecture Corporation) Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from wiseGEEK: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-agricultural-technology.htm#comments Cornwall A; Brock K;. (2006). A critical look at Participation, Empowerment and Poverty Reduction. What do buzzwords do for development policy?, 26(7), 1043-1060. Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from http://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue13focus2?page=show Development, Invested; Tamer, Christina ;. (2013, June 13th). The Impact of Technology in Agriculture. (C. Tamer, Editor, & Intrepid Digital) Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from Invested Development: http://investeddevelopment.com/blog/2013/06/the-impact-oftechnology-in-agriculture/ Governance Pro ©. (2010). Eight Elements of Good Governance. (Governance Pro©) Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from Governance Pro©: http://www.governancepro.com/news/
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DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA 15 Gutierrez, D. (2008). The New Politics of Partnership. Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from http://www.norrag.org/issues/41 MAV; , VLGA; LGV; LGPro;. (2012, October 7th). WHAT IS GOOD GOVERNANCE? Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from The Good Governance Guide: http://www.goodgovernance.org.au/about-good-governance/what-is-good-governance/ Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. (2008). Partnership. Redmond, Washington, United States. Retrieved May 3rd, 2016 Oxford University. (2016). Definition of Development from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. (Oxford University Press) Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/development?q=developme nt WebFinance, Inc; , BusinessDictionary;. (2016). Definition; Governance. Retrieved May 3rd, 2016, from Business Dictonary: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/governance.html
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