DEVELOPMENT AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN AFRICAN STATES: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF HOW EUROPE UNDERDEVELOPED AFRICA

This study critically evaluates the development and underdevelopment of African states: a critical evaluation of how Europe underdeveloped Africa. This study also investigates the historical and contemporary processes that contribute to underdevelopment in African States, the impact of colonial legacy experience on Francophone and Anglophone African States, and the role of neoliberalism and the state-led economy growth model in Africa’s development. Dependency theory and Marxist political economy theory were adopted as the theoretical framework for this study to explain how global inequalities were historically constituted and continue to be reproduced. A qualitative approach and interpretive methodology were utilized for this study, which explores the intersections of colonialism, neoliberalism, state-led development models, and internal governance failures. The findings contribute to a more nuanced, interdisciplinary understanding of Africa’s developmental trajectory, offering critical insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners working toward the continent’s sustainable and inclusive growth. The study concludes that African development requires a decolonized, context-specific paradigm that acknowledges historical injustices, reclaims African agency, and integrates grassroots and participation. Thus, this study recommends hybrid models which involve mixing market incentives with social protection and decentralization with strategic planning