Paper short abstract:

How do 'growth-enhancing' governance structure differ from 'market-enhancing' structures? What do these two governance structures entail, within the African milieu, and what implications do they have for per-capita micro-economic development indicators in Africa?

Paper long abstract:

How do 'growth-enhancing' governance structure differ from 'market-enhancing' governance structures? What do these two governance structures entail, within the African context and what implications do they have for development in Africa? These are the thrust of this study. Following the end of the Cold War and the advancement of the capitalist agenda of the 'West' in African states; resulting in calls for entrenching democratic governance, respect for rule of law and protection of human rights, among others, development has arguably remained a façade in Africa, as many democratic states have either remained underdeveloped or, at best, have stayed developing for several decades, while most of the individuals in these societies have continued to suffer the worse forms of poverty and deprivations. This paper argues that while the capitalist agenda bears some positive outcomes, it has remained a guise for several other neo-imperialist policies that have constituted a 'clog in the wheel' of development in Africa. The paper therefore argues that development in Africa ought to, rather, be predicated on more pragmatic strategies and 'growth-enhancing' governance structures that have potentials of translating to micro-economic development deliverables such as increased per-capita income, employment opportunities, provision of basic amenities and overall higher standards of living in Africa.