Reflections on Leadership and Institutions in Africa: (Africa: Past, Present & Prospects)

This book contains different reflections on leadership and institutions in Africa. Drawing from different ideological and methodological orientations, the book highlights how leadership and institutions have shaped and continue to shape the trajectory of Africa’s political and economic development. The book explores different epochs in Africa’s history, from the era of colonialism to the period of nationalist movements, and up to post-colonial Africa. Essays in the volume engage with major actors and important institutions that defined each era. By presenting various reflections and representations of leadership and institutions in Africa, this book attempts to make the connection between leadership and institutions on the one hand, and between these variables and Africa’s development on the other. Similar to most studies on Africa’s political economy, the book considers the role of external forces whether operationalized through direct interventions as was the case during the colonial era, or through subtle imposition of policies as has been the new model in post-colonial times. Drawing from these lenses, issues around Africa’s dependency on external interventions, neo-colonialism, neoliberalism, and disregard for Africa’s culture are explored and contextualized within the framework of leadership and institutions.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Leadership and Institutions in Postcolonial Africa, Kenneth Kalu and Toyin Falola Part I: Leaders and their Footprints 1. It's Truly Ghanaian! The Accra Evening News and Ghana's Benevolent Dictator, 1960-1964, Nicholas C. McLeod and Tyler Fleming 2. African American Evangelic Missions and Social Reforms in the Congo: The Activism Of Reverend William Henry Sheppard, Bamba Ndiaye 3. Rethinking Military Leadership in African Politics: Gowon and Ojukwu in the Nigerian Civil War; 1967-1970, Fred Ekpe Ayokhai 4. The Scourge of Personalization of Political Power in Africa: An Interrogation of the Jammeh Years, 'Tola Odubajo 5. At Ras Tafari Makonnen's court: The 1927 Italian diplomatic mission to Ethiopia and its colonial implications, Alberto Cauli 6. Kwame Nkrumah's 'African Personality' and its Application in his African Affairs, 1957 – 1966, Steiner B. Ifekwe Part II: Representations of Institutions 7. African Governments, Neocolonialism, and Food Insecurity: The Neglect of Traditional Af

About the Author :
Kenneth Kalu is Assistant Professor of Global Management/International Business and member of the Advisory Council of Canada-China Institute for Business and Development at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. Toyin Falola is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin, USA.

Review :
This book skillfully interweaves extant explanations with novel perspectives to interrogate the complex nature of leadership and institutions in Africa, and how they intersect with development. Kalu and Falola have produced an indispensable volume that is compelling, engaging, and thought-provoking. This work should be a must-read for everyone interested in a better understanding of how leadership and institutions have shaped development in Africa. Reflections on Leadership and Institutions in Africa demonstrates the significance of developmental leadership and inclusive institutions to political stability, sustainable socioeconomic development, and shared prosperity. It is unique in its broad comparative approach, rich thematic focus, and cross-disciplinary analytical rigor. It is highly recommended for everyone interested in the interface between leadership, social institutions, and practical policy outcomes.