Paper short abstract:

Do African states have capacity for development? African states are described either as incapable or uninterested in development, but these notions have not been historicized. This paper evaluates the conditions under which capacities for development were strengthened and weakened.

Paper long abstract:

Do African States have the capacity for 'Development'? In the contemporary literature African states are described either as incapable or uninterested in development, but these notions have not been fully historicized. Meanwhile, it is widely acknowledged in the history, economics and politics of development literature that it is history and institutions that matter most for development outcomes. This paper examines when, where and under what conditions states in sub-Saharan Africa were capable of nurturing development and when, where and under what conditions they were not. At present, we have no clear empirical metric to gauge whether African states are more capable, stronger or more legitimate today than they were 20, 50 or 100 years ago.

Judging African states to be incapable or uninterested in development calls for a complete reorientation of most internationally sponsored development policy initiatives. This paper aims to provide a new comparative basis by changing the objective from explaining the relative dysfunction of states in Africa, towards explaining determinants of how those states function, thus keeping with the principle of reciprocal comparison. Research has so far tended towards normative statements about how African states ought to be, rather than concrete analysis of how states function. This paper shed light on comparative state development capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa by evaluating the conditions under which capacities for development were strengthened and under which such conditions were weakened.