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Accepted Paper

Modern nation-states as barriers to regional integration in Africa  
Ademola Solomon Babalola (Obafemi Awolowo University)

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Paper short abstract

Colonial partitioning of the African continent has continued to work against its integration post-colonial rule. This paper explores how utilization of pre-colonial, borderless configuration of Africa could help in the process of its integration.

Paper long abstract

Pre-colonial Africa was essentially devoid of any borders. Interactions and movements that would have been classified as cross-border or trans-border within the framework of modern nation-state functioning were routinely adjudged as one taking place within the same socio-cultural or geo-political configuration. While the interests of different colonial impostors were at the root of immanent border demarcations, extant solidarity-propelled pattern of human interaction in Africa has been unduly obliterated. Cross-border interactions in Africa are now needlessly Herculean. Impliedly, the process of enabling integration of the continent has been near impossible due to prevalent nation-state consciousness. As such, contemporary efforts at socio-economic and human transformation of Africa have continued to suffer as a result of prevalent disunity amongst various nation-states that constitute the continent. This paper focuses on espousing how various problems militating against the integration of Africa could be mitigated.

Panel P032
Regional integration in Africa: challenges and opportunities
  Session 1