CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: INTERNAL BOTTLENECKS AS WELL AS THE RELEVANCE OF COMTE’S LAWS

By

Bassey Ubong

Luther Institute of Management & Technology

Obot Idim Ibesikpo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Whatever adjective – poor, undeveloped, underdeveloped, developing, emerging, or transitional – which theorists delight to use to position Africa in the contemporary world, no one can deny the appalling socio-economic indices from Africa since political independence to date. The abundant natural and human resources in the continent have been misused or misapplied while some are dormant. This has placed majority of the citizens at the lower rung of the socio-economic ladder while the minority use few deceitful statistics to paint a false picture or fall back on colonialism as the cause of the problem. The situation is complicated by some unscientific positions which resurrect Auguste Comte’s law of three stages which a review shows the law places Africa in the first stage of sociological development. African nations therefore remain in the group with the white-washed phrase, ‘transition societies.’ This paper uses desk research method to analyse the status quo. Application of Comte’s three stages in national development process does not appear to have a parallel in literature to date. The paper recommends a research agenda to determine new concepts of development for policy purposes and indeed development aid; advocacy for new development thought and action in line with Comte’s scientific stage; grafting of local practices seen to be development inducing; and emphasis on education for development.