Introduction: perspectives on the role of the state in economy and security.

Abstract

Optimism about Africa’s growth is blurred by past and current experiences of the exclusiveness of such a growth process. Socio-economic, political and environmental challenges have played major roles in compounding the challenges faced by African economies. In addition, the exclusivity of the continent’s growth process has exposed countries to the vagaries of climate change, raised unemployment and turned the bulging youth population into an army of thugs awaiting the next opportunity to aggravate political crises and be nuanced by radical and extremist ideas. Despite gains in the second half of the 1990s, sub-Saharan Africa entered the 21st Century comprising many of the world’s poorest countries. The average income per capita today is lower than at the end of the 1960s. Incomes, assets and access to essential services are unequally distributed and at the same time, the region contains a growing number of the world’s absolute poorest. With this trend, many development problems such as the negative effects of climate change, low enrolment in primary schools/high rate of out-of-school syndrome enrolments, high child mortality rate, and endemic diseases (e.g. malaria, HIV/AIDS and Ebola), have taken an extreme toll on Africa. According to a 2000 World Bank report that examined the possibility of Africa in the 21st Century, it was observed that one in five Africans has been severely disrupted by conflict. The rise of the activities of extreme groups in Nigeria, Mali, Chad and Niger among others, has of course, worsened matters. Building resilience through investment in critical infrastructure, expanding access to health care and access to resources to help boost investment plays a critical role in repositioning Africa in order to tackle its emerging and historical challenges.This book targets economic managers and other stakeholders in the academia, politics, civil society organisations, government officials, international and regional donor agencies. After 50 years of independence and with an abundance of natural resources, Africa still experiences seemingly intractable problems of unemployment, inflation and weak economic growth. To address these macroeconomic problems, policy makers need a proper grasp of how contemporary challenges impact insecurity and economic management in Africa. Essentially, the significance of the book is that: It serves as an evaluating instrument for country specific governments in addressing the ailing economic and security challenges facing each country. It would help regional, economic and political blocs in frontally tackling the intractable security and developmental challenges spreading in the different regions of Africa. As a veritable document for economic management, this book provides an alternative economic policy by suggesting policies that will drive sustainable growth and development.The major expectation of the book is that it will stimulate debates on economy while extending the frontiers of knowledge on development.