The early twenty-first century witnessed remarkable attempts by Africa's political leadership to promote regional integration as a means of fast-tracking economic progress, facilitating peace and security, consolidating democratic gains, and promoting the general welfare of the African people. The transition of the Organization of Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU), as well as the foisting of a new economic blueprint for the continent-the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), combined with the growing role of the regional economic communities (RECs) in harmonizing and creating subregional norms and standards in the political and economic arena suggests a new trend towards regionalism in Africa. Indeed, in the new regional integration architecture, the RECs are considered to be the building blocks of the integration process led by the African Union. This new impetus of a regional development strategy was largely prompted by the slow pace of economic progress on the continent, the increasing marginalization of Africa in the global economy, and the need to create regional resources and standards that would benefit the continent in all spheres of social life. A painful realization became obvious that small micro-states in Africa sticking to their political independence and sovereignty would hardly make much progress in an increasingly globalised world. A macro-states' approach of regional integration has assumed Africa's new strategy to intervene in and integrate with a globalizing world. The current regional trend in Africa has received very little scholarly attention especially in a systematic and comprehensive way. This is due partly to the fact that the processes arecurrently unfolding and there is still uncertainty in the outcomes. Poor documentation and the dearth of primary materials (especially from the regional institutions) also contribute to the lack of scholarly work in this area. This study assembles the voices of some of the most seasoned African and Africanist scholars who have constantly, in one way or another, interacted with the integration process in Africa and kept abreast of the developments therein, and seeks to capture those developments in a nuanced manner in the economic, political and social spheres. The essence of this book is to analyze those processes--teasing out the issues, problems, challenges and major policy recommendations, with tentative conclusions on Africa's regional development trajectory. The book therefore fills major knowledge and policy gaps in Africa's regional development agenda. This book is a landmark contribution in a systematic attempt to comprehend Africa's regional development strategy led by the African Union. It examines the background, nuances, and dimensions of the process, which include the basis and historiography of pan-Africanism, the transition of the OAU to the AU, the issue of popular participation in development, the NEPAD and APRM initiatives, the evolving regional peace and security architecture, and the efforts of regional institutions to facilitate democracy, human rights, rule of law and good governance on the continent. The book underscores the fact that formidable obstacles and challenges abound in the trajectory, politics, and processes of this regional development paradigm, especially as Africa navigates an uncertain future in a deeply divided and unequal yet globalised World. Thebook constitutes a major reference material and compendium for a wide range of readers--students and scholars of African affairs and African development, policy makers both in Africa and the western countries, regional and international institutions and organizations, and all those interested in the past, present and future of Africa's development process.

Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem's untimely death on African Liberation Day 2009 stunned the Pan-African world. This selection of his Pan-African Postcards, written between 2003 and 2009, demonstrates the brilliant wordsmith he was, his steadfast commitment to Pan-Africanism and his determination to speak truth to power. He was a discerning analyst of developments in the global and Pan-African world and a vociferous believer in the potential of Africa and African people; he wrote his weekly postcards for over a decade. This book demonstrates Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem's ability to express complex ideas in an engaging manner. The Pan-African philosophy on diverse but intersecting themes presented in this book offers a legacy of his political, social and cultural thought. Represented here are his fundamental respect for the capabilities, potential and contribution of women in transforming Africa; penetrating truths directed at African politicians and their conduct; and deliberations on the institutional progress towards African Union. He reflects on culture and emphasises the commonalities of African people. Also represented are his denunciations of international financial institutions, the G8 and NGOs in Africa, with incisive analysis of imperialism's manifestations and impact on the lives of African people, and his passion for eliminating poverty in Africa. His personality bounces off the page - one can almost hear the passion of his voice: 'Don't agonise! Organise!'

These two volumes articulate new values and missions for African universities, and define effective strategies to meet the challenges. Written by some of Africa’s leading educators, Volume I examines the implications of the neo-liberal reforms and the new information technologies on African higher education, while Volume II interrogates the changing social dynamics of knowledge production, university organisation, and public service and engagement. As the twenty first century unfolds, African universities are undergoing change and confronting challenges which are unprecedented. The effects of globalisation, and political and economic pressures of liberalisation and privatisation, both internal and external, are reconfiguring all aspects of university life: teaching, research, and their public service functions; such that the need to redefine the roles of the African universities, and to defend their importance have become paramount. At the same time, the universities must themselves balance demands of autonomy and accountability, expansion and excellence, diversification and differentiation, and internationalisation and indigenisation. In a climate in which scholarship and production are increasingly dependent on ICTs, and are becoming globalised, the universities must address the challenges of knowledge production and dissemination. The need to indigenise global scholarship, to their own requirements, meanwhile is ever- pressing.

Examines the impact of structural adjustment policies on Nigeria. The economic crisis in the Nigerian economy in 1982 was triggered, though not necessarily caused by, the collapse of the world oil market. The Nigerian state adopted a structural adjustment programme which was approved by the World Bank and the IMF - that decision raised questions about the nature of the crisis and the appropriateness of free market policies in tackling it. Nigeria: HEBN

The West African sub-region has a distinctive history as one of the most dynamic parts of the African continent. Forged out of a long, often contradictory, always contested trajectory of state formation, dissolution, and recomposition that has been accompanied at different stages by widespread population movements, the sub-region has, inevitably, grappled with a wide range of core, enduring governance questions. These questions have contributed, to one degree or another, to the making and character ofcontemporary state systems, as well as the political cultures underpinning them. It is hoped that readers of this synthesis report will find it useful as a quick and easily digestible summary of some of the key developments in West Africa that had a direct bearing on governance in the sub-region during 2006. The report does not pretend to be exhaustive-it cannot possibly be. Nor is it constructed as a chronological account-that was not deemed desirable. Rather, it seeks, in an omnibus manner, to tie together various developments in West Africa in presentational and analytic rubrics that are designed to give insights into a variety of governance issues which caneach be pursued in their own right in much greater depth by readers who might have an inclination to do so. The report is in both English and French.

This volume highlights the proceedings of the two policy dialogue conferences held by the Working Group on Finance and Education (WGFE) in 2004. Part I of the document discusses the endemic crisis that higher educationhas been beset with since the outset of the post colonial period in Africa. It highlights the critical state of higher education systems in Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal by scrutinizing the causes, manifestations and consequences of the crisis to posit useful recommendations and possible solutions. Part II is a comprehensive review of the challenges facing the financing and planning of all levels and types ofeducation - from kindergarten to graduate school - in selected African countries. The papers reveal the sources and mechanisms of funding education in Africa, drawing attention to the experiences of communities confronted with new funding sources. A new trend, which consists of designing decade long educational development plans, has emerged and is rapidly expanding in numerous African countries. This experience is examined and shared by the authors. This book has contributions in both French and English.

This book was commissioned as part of a research project, located in the Centre for Social Science Research and Development, an independent research organisation based in Ikorodu, Nigeria, with the intention of building knowledge about positive leadership in Nigeria. Supported by the Ford Foundation, it is part of a global initiative to encourage a diversified understanding of leadership beyond State and public actors, giving prominence to new ideas, and recognising leaders in various communities whose work have contributed to positive social change.

The continuation of no-party democracy has been constitutionalised by the Constituent Assembly of Uganda, causing great controversy. The 1995 constitution provided for a referendum to be held in the year 2000 to enable Ugandans to revisit the question of political systems and choose between multiparty, no-party and any other form of democracy. The eight contributors including Professor Ali Mazrui, examine the case for and against multipartyism, the justification for no-party democracy as well as its myths and realities, and the wider ideological implications of movement politics in the Great Lakes region. They also explore the possibilities of bridging the gap between movementists and multipartyists in order to adopt a political system based on the widest consensus possible among the people in Uganda.

These two volumes articulate new values and missions for African universities, and define effective strategies to meet the challenges. Written by some of Africa’s leading educators, Volume I examines the implications of the neo-liberal reforms and the new information technologies on African higher education, while Volume II interrogates the changing social dynamics of knowledge production, university organisation, and public service and engagement. As the twenty first century unfolds, African universities are undergoing change and confronting challenges which are unprecedented. The effects of globalisation, and political and economic pressures of liberalisation and privatisation, both internal and external, are reconfiguring all aspects of university life: teaching, research, and their public service functions; such that the need to redefine the roles of the African universities, and to defend their importance have become paramount. At the same time, the universities must themselves balance demands of autonomy and accountability, expansion and excellence, diversification and differentiation, and internationalisation and indigenisation. In a climate in which scholarship and production are increasingly dependent on ICTs, and are becoming globalised, the universities must address the challenges of knowledge production and dissemination. The need to indigenise global scholarship, to their own requirements, meanwhile is ever- pressing.

A concise study examining the various trends and structural factors in the contemnporary political economy of West Africa, assessing how they will affect the needs and capabilities of the sub-region's countries to achieve a more rapid system of democratic government and respond to the demands of globalisation. It provides an overview of the area's development issues, including the prospects for regional co-operation/integration, the important geo-political and economic role played by France in West Africa, changing forms of popular identity, and Islam and its growing influence. It argues that in this age of intensifying globalisation, West Africa's future centres around the choice between the pursuit of national strategies, and closer regional co-operation, the political will not withstanding.

This book is mainly devoted to a discussion of the broad experiences of the opposition parties that have emerged as a part of the movement towards multi-party politics in Africa. The contributors to the book tackle an interesting mix of issues from a critique of opposition politics in the context of the economic decline in Africa to an assessment of the effors made by the opposition to establish an effective presence under extremely difficult circumstances. The book also draws attention to the many internal organisational/leadership problems that have contributed as much to the weakness of the opposition as the machinations of the ruling parties. Ethnicity, religion and regionalism are identified as crucial factors militating against the opposition. Case studies are drawn from Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

No one can fail to be aware of the incredible impact that the IMF and the World Bank have had on Africa. Their structural adjustment programmes were deliberately designed to shock African economies into free market reform and ensuing stability. But when getting the prices right' first swamped the World Bank's African economic plans in the early 1980s, few bothered to analyse the politics of a reform package whose immediate impact was violent and unsettling. While Africa has come a long way since then, the goal of market reform must be as important as the task of understanding the politics of unleashing the forces of the market. Not least, is the question of democratisation, which the Bank itself now attempts to force through with loan conditions. This book is the culmination of intense debate by African authors across the continent. Three sections make up a comprehensive analysis of adjustment regimes, their perspectives and the political context in which they have survived, or not. Country case studies in both anglophone and francophone Africa round up the analysis.

Global citizens' struggles today stress the building of effective links between development agencies and the women's movement. Development Action for Women Network, which has long brought together many leading Third World women thinkers and activists, has been vigorously contributing to developing such linkages between the different approaches to and struggles for economic justice and gender justice. Here DAWN sets out the analyses they have developed over decades.In the context of a powerful analytic framework that takes account of the changing circumstances and issues confronting women at the beginning of the 21st century, DAWN argues from a feminist perspective for reinventing social contracts to fulfill the promise of human rights. This is intended to provide a holistic and radical understanding of the synergies, tensions and contradictions between social movements and global, regional and local processes on the one hand, and feminist perspectives and goals on the other.

Global citizens' struggles today stress the building of effective links between development agencies and the women's movement. Development Action for Women Network, which has long brought together many leading Third World women thinkers and activists, has been vigorously contributing to developing such linkages between the different approaches to and struggles for economic justice and gender justice. Here DAWN sets out the analyses they have developed over decades.In the context of a powerful analytic framework that takes account of the changing circumstances and issues confronting women at the beginning of the 21st century, DAWN argues from a feminist perspective for reinventing social contracts to fulfill the promise of human rights. This is intended to provide a holistic and radical understanding of the synergies, tensions and contradictions between social movements and global, regional and local processes on the one hand, and feminist perspectives and goals on the other.