Politics & Development

The depth of insight of Prof. Mumoz in these essay brings valuable lesson. Yoruba scholars who may not have noted each of the papers when first published, cannot afford to ignore this collection.

Frederick Cooper’s latest book on the history of decolonization and independence in Africa initiates a new textbook series: New Approaches to African History. This text will help students understand the historical process out of which Africa’s current position in the world has emerged. Bridging the divide between colonial and post-colonial history, it allows readers to see just what political independence did and did not signify and how men and women, peasants and workers, religious leaders and local leaders sought to refashion the way they lived, worked, and interacted with each other.

This is the most authoritative study of the Sierra Leone civil war to emanate from Africa, or indeed any publications’ programme on Africa. It explores the genesis of the crisis, the contradictory roles of different internal and external actors, civil society and the media; the regional intervention force and the demise of the second republic. It analyses the numerous peace initiatives designed to end a war, which continued nonetheless to defy and outlast them; and asks why the war became so prolonged. The study articulates how internal actors trod the multiple and conflicting pathways to power. It considers how non-conventional actors were able to inaugurate and sustain an insurgency that called forth the largest concentration of UN peacekeepers the world has ever seen.

In this thoughtful and elegantly written book, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu explodes the myths and conventional wisdoms about Africa’s quest for economic growth in a globalised world with a paradigm-shift perspective on the continent’s future. Masterfully deploying arguments grounded in philosophy, economics and strategy across a range of subjects; from capitalism to transformation agendas, finance to foreign investment, and from innovation and human capital to world trade, he demonstrates persuasively how Africa’s progress in the 21st century will require nothing short of the reinvention of the African mind.

Africa is about turning a corner for good. Led by an emerging generation of visionary young people who are resolute on leaving their marks on the sand of time Africa is edging closer to fulfilling her staggering potential ‘Reclaiming Hope’ outlines the imperatives for this emerging generation. It affirms that understanding our root and reviving our values are essential in evolving a strong identity Rethinking faith in a new way can help to find inspiration for a new culture of civility, tolerance and mutual respect. The necessity of quality leadership as a precursor to the transformation of Africa cannot be said enough. The human mind also, where real transformation begins, requires a thorough clean up for it to perform at its best. These and more are condensed into concepts that can be easily understood in the book. ‘Reclaiming Hope’ is a must-read for every progressive minded person. The time to birth a new Africa is now. About the Author Braimoh Boluwaji Davids is a Nigerian fueled by the passion for the transformation of Africa and the restoration of the dignity of the African. He believes that the generation that it will fulfill Africa’s potential is finally emerging. He’s also the author of : • This Country Nigeria • Nigerian Great Speeches www.ThisCountryNigeria.com.ng fb.com/boluwajidavids @boluwajidavids

Is the State still relevant for development in contemporary Africa? There have been several scholarly efforts geared toward understanding the role of the State in facilitating socio-economic development in Africa. While some see the State as a benevolent political authority which possesses the necessary mandate and responsibility to advance development, others see it as an area for personal accumulation and rent sharing. Indeed, there have been mixed results on the activities of the State and economic development in Africa over the past five decades of gaining political independence. This book contributes to the debates on the domestic and external forces that have continued to shape the role of the State in fostering socio-economic and political development in post-independent Africa. Contributors to this volume went beyond diagnosis of the challenges facing the continent to proffering solution and charting alternative strategies for achieving inclusive development. Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba, PhD is a Senior Lecturer at the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute, University of South Africa. He is co-editor with Toyin Falola of the Palgrave Handbook of African Politics, Governance and Development, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2018. Professor Vusi Gumede, a former Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg, is the Head of Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute at the University of South Africa researching and publishing in the political economy of development in Africa.

This volume is an attempt to consistently think through the reform of the public administration and public service dynamics that could serve as an institutional framework for reorienting Africa’s postcolonial predicament. Africa has often been regarded, among other uncomplimentary epithets, as the most difficult administrative contexts in the world. The failure of the public service in Africa is essentially the failure of the democratic experiment in Africa. The ten lectures gathered in this significant volume derive from the author’s practical and intellectual involvement with public administration thinking on the continent including the articulation of the African Public Service Charter under the auspices of the African Union Commission. The essays are all united by a firm conviction that once the public/civil service in Africa fails, then all else has failed in terms of an infrastructural transformation of Africa that will make democratic governance a meaningful experiment for Africans. The volume therefore delivers a serious trajectory of how the African public service and administrative dynamics can leverage on global best practices and existing reform ideas to undermine the African predicament and install good governance for Africans. “…there is no one better positioned to take up the urgent task of fashioning the philosophical and intellectual enterprise crucial to the re-alignment of public service in Africa, which he superbly demonstrates throughout the pages of this book…” Toyin Falola, Jacob & Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, The University of Texas at Austin

UNDERSTANDING POLITICS: IDEAS, INSTITUTIONS, AND ISSUES, 8E, International Edition, is the best way to empower yourself with an understanding of the political forces that shape the United States and the world. With best-selling author Thomas Magstadt as your guide, you will gain a rich understanding of politics as a pervasive force in our society. You’ll explore the concepts of democracy, dictatorship, citizenship, and leadership. Not only will you come away with a solid grasp of politics, but also with a better understanding of human nature, society, and the world!