Looking Beyong SDGS and The Challenge of Excrutiating Poverty in Africa: The Case for A New Global Development Framework (Published)
The study critically examines African excruciating poverty situation and the challenge of a new global development framework in view of the apparent failures of SDGs agenda in Africa and other developing countries. It articulates alternative approach towards legitimate global development governance. It concludes by proposing a new Global Development Regulatory Organization (GDRO) to address core-development challenge in international context. The study also identifies the institutional framework, functions and approaches to the new Global Development Regulatory Organization (GDRO) agenda.
Keywords: Africa, SDGs, excrutiating poverty, global development framework
African Theories of Development and the Reality of Underdevelopment (Published)
The urge for the development of the African continent immediately after independence pushed the immediate post-colonial African leaders into experimenting different kinds of developmental systems. Some of these leaders copied the Western systems in operation at that time whereas some others adapted and adopted them. The successors of these post-colonial leaders also followed this trend. All these efforts could not bring the desired development as a result of one basic factor – dependence index. It is an existential fact that no country or continent ever developed by majorly depending on others. The key to development is real ‘ independence’. Equally true is that no country/continent ever developed without the production of materials and goods. Being a consumer nation or continent is to invariably jettison development. This paper calls for ‘ inward looking’ in the developmental efforts of the African continent and minimally look outward.
Keywords: Africa, Development, Leaders, Underdevelopment
Engineering Education as a Tool for Human Welfare Improvement in Africa: A Multidimensional Model Analysis (Published)
One of the arguments to answer the Malthusian thesis stood on the hope the world had in Engineers. It is however getting more difficult to ascertain the possibility of satisfying the needs of a growing world population while preserving the carrying capacity of ecosystems and biodiversity particularly in Africa. The role of the engineer and engineering education in addressing the issues of water, sanitation, energy, shelter, site planning, infrastructure, food production and distribution, communication, poverty and human welfare has been rather limited in Africa. It is therefore doubtful whether human welfare could be optimized through engineering education and practice in Africa for current and future generations. This paper sought to analyze the extent to which engineering education and practice can enhance human welfare in Africa through a multidimensional model approach to human welfare. Data was obtained through face-to-face interviews with engineering educators, engineering students, engineers and beneficiaries of engineered facilities in Ghana. The College of Engineering of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology which has provided engineering education for students across Africa since 1952 was used as a proxy for an engineering educator in Africa. Even though Africa has produced engineers who have practiced in the field since the 1950s, the bridge between the engineer and the society he works for has been weak and wobbly. This has not worked well for human welfare improvement. The welfare implications of rethinking the engineer were also discussed.
Keywords: Africa, Engineering education, Ghana, Human welfare, Multidimensional model
Women in the Promotion Of Cultural Security and Development in Africa (Published)
This paper examines the role of women in protecting and preserving the cultural heritage of the African continent which is an important ingredient for the nation’s development. It traces the indispensable role of the women to the creation of mankind at the Garden of Eden. However, despite the much desired role and contribution of the women to the development of the African nation, the imposition of colonialism in Africa laid the groundwork for the marginalization of the women folk, which eventually created gender inequality that weakened the contribution of the women. Nevertheless, African women have not given up the struggle. Women continue to play a leading role in preserving the farming tradition which is the main occupation in Africa by means of women organizations such as “Women in Agriculture in Nigeria” and “Women farmers Advancement Network”. Notwithstanding there are still a number of barriers against women effective participation in economic development activities which the study has identified to include; systemic gender biases in form of customs and beliefs; domestic workloads that impose severe time burden on women; limited access to credit, education and medical care. The expose of these barriers reveals the need for greater sensitization of the cultural and social barriers to encourage increased women participation in the economic activities in Africa.
Keywords: Africa, Cultural security, Development, Women