Democracy, Development In Africa : Book Presents Practices, Theory

In the face of a rapidly changing world, emerging nations, including those in Africa are confronted with several challenges that hinder smooth development. Amongst them are governance and leadership. Hence, the 412-page book of Enow Abrams Egbe, Board Chair of the Electoral Board of ELECAM titled “Development and Democracy in Africa; Stakes and Opportunities in Governance: A Critical Reflection on Democracy, Leadership and Nation Building in Contemporary Africa,” examines the social, cultural, political and economic situation of the continent in modern day. In five chapters, the author presents theories and practices of the concept in different African countries and questions whether democracy favours development in African countries as advocated by westerns precepts and political orientations, or developments necessarily precede democracy. 
The first chapter of the write-up highlights the problematics of democracy in Africa. After presenting different models of democracy, the author notes that the concept considered by many thinkers as a panacea for development on the African continent still leaves many African leaders perplexed of the complexity and herculean tasks to attain their development objectives. “Contemporary Africa as a continent is depreciating in values and orientations towards meeting up with the required standard of living, good governance and development due to tribalism,” states the author as he mentions the tribal conflicts in Rwanda, Sierra-Leone, South Africa, Nigeria and South Sudan, amongst others. Witchcraft and wizardry culture in Africa, low level of education, electoral malpractices and fraud, and the absence of positive African traditional values to democratic institutions, are other aspects the book presents as problems to democracy in Afr...