Pan-Africanism, Regional Integration and Development in Africa

Abstract

This chapter examines the link between Pan-Africanism, regional integration and development in Africa. As leaders on the continent continue to grapple with the multiple challenges of achieving inclusive development and reclaiming Africa’s place in the global world, there are various ideas, actions and policies that are considered necessary for charting a new course. Pan-Africanism is both an ideological force and a theoretical foundation that underpins the desire and actions of Africans to protest, resist and champion the cause of freedom for Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora. Pan-Africanism provided the rallying point and ideological blueprint on which Afro-Americans like William Dubois, Marcus Garvey and others rode to challenge the racial oppression of the black race in the United States in the twentieth century. Regional integration in Africa flows from the logic of Pan-Africanism. It exemplifies attempts at moving beyond the nation-state to foster a higher level of development on the continent. The idea of development remains a contested one, appearing as a desirable destination, while at the same time appearing elusive. Despite the ebbs and flows of these three variables, they continue to occupy the minds of policy makers and civil society organisations, to varying degrees in Africa. This chapter interrogates the achievements, challenges and prospects of Pan-Africanism and regional integration in Africa in the twenty-first century. The chapter also provides a summary of other chapters in this volume.