Political consciousness and governance in Africa

Abstract

This paper interrogates the subject of political consciousness and political governance vis-a-vis the mounting level of global restiveness precipitated by an unprecedented level of disparity in the global distribution of wealth. It borrows from the mainstream Marxian political-economic framework, arguing that the material existence of the growing and restive global population spurs political consciousness and questions the legitimacy of many national governments, as well as the global governance structures that support them. The paper is a desk study which relies heavily on secondary data, supported by a qualitative review of existing literature. Findings suggest that the global capitalist ideology – regulated by market forces – and accentuated by political globalization has failed to satisfy the legitimate aspirations to better conditions of living for the majority of the world’s population, especially in the developing countries, but particularly in Africa. The paper strongly recommends the strengthening of regional governance architecture in order to hold national leaderships accountable and responsive.