Preface

It is generally believed that the conditions that have limited Africa's economic growth and development are partly due to structural failures and organizational weaknesses. Arguably, it is also believed that colonization, political instability, foreign interests, dependency and neo-liberalism are other factors that have impacted the slow pace of Africa's regional development. Indeed, the slow pace of growth is also revealing a new set of developmental challenges in the region such as migration, brain drain, environmental degradation, regional conflicts, and peace and security issues, among others. The poor state of infrastructure services such as water, energy, food, housing, transportation and healthcare also adds to the growing complexity. *Regional Development in Africa* provides readers with a better understanding of the contemporary issues and challenges facing the African continent as a result of economic and social changes. It also provides insights on what needs to be done in order to put Africa back on the right development track.

The book starts with an introductory chapter (Section 1), which highlights some important reasons why we should care about Africa's regional development (Chapter 1) and why regional development really matters. It addresses the issues of: energy and development; urbanization and development; food production, consumption and resource constraints; and intra-African migration, trade and economic development as the main issues plaguing Africa's development trajectory.

In section 2, industry, trade and investment dynamics in Africa is presented and discussed. This section starts off by highlighting (in chapter 2) the dynamics of trade and investment in South Africa and the link between Africa's growth and the China-Africa investments (in chapter 3). Some specific cases on industrial practices and how they function on-the-ground are presented in chapters 4 and 5. This section closes (in chapter 6) by highlighting the need to reconsider the evidence for economic integration in West Africa.

Section 3 delves into some salient issues around agricultural services and the water-energy-food nexus in Africa. In Chapter 7, the need for a decentralized waterenergy-food system to support development of local communities is presented and discussed. In Chapter 8, we discuss how the Word Trade Organization's liberalization policy impacts on food security in West Africa. Chapter 9 highlights how conflicts, owing to resource scarcity in food production, impact Africa's development, while Chapter 10 points out the role of international donors in aquaculture development in Africa.

Section 4 provides some environmental and cultural dimensions to Africa's regional development. In Chapter 11, the Zulu's cultural views and practices on livestock productivity management are explored. Chapter 12 provides a gender analysis of youth unemployment in Cote d'Ivoire while some factors influencing entrepreneurship growth in Zimbabwe are presented in Chapter 13. This section concludes in Chapter 14 where development opportunities for Africa's solid waste are presented.

**II**

**Chapter 8 125**

**Chapter 9 145**

**Chapter 10 167**

Environmental and Cultural Dimensions to Africa's Regional Development **181**

**Chapter 11 183**

**Chapter 12 197**

**Chapter 13 213**

**Chapter 14 235**

Solid Waste Management in Africa: Governance Failure or Development

*by Linda Godfrey, Mohamed Tawfic Ahmed, Kidane Giday Gebremedhin, Jamidu H.Y. Katima, Suzan Oelofse, Oladele Osibanjo, Ulf Henning Richter* 

World Trade Organization's Trade Liberalization Policy on Agriculture

Agricultural Production Amid Conflict: Implications for Africa's Regional

The Role of International Donors in Aquaculture Development in Africa

The Role of Culture in Achieving Sustainable Agriculture in South Africa: Examining Zulu Cultural Views and Management Practices of Livestock

A Gender Analysis of the Determinants of Youth Unemployment

The Factors Influencing SMEs Growth in Africa: A Case of SMEs

*by Emeka C. Iloh, Michael Nwokedi, Chijioke Francis Onyebukwa* 

and Food Security in West Africa

*by Jude Uwaoma Nwachukwu*

*by Olufemi Julius Olapade*

and Its Productivity

in Côte d'Ivoire

in Zimbabwe *by Kosmas Njanike*

Opportunity?

*and Arsène H. Yonli*

*by Adetoyese Ade. Adeyemo and Ekuyikeno Silas*

*by Ibrahima Sy and Akrassi Kouakou Evrard Kouame*

*and Queeneth Ekeocha*

Development

**Section 4**

I express my sincere gratitude to all contributing authors for their high quality contributions. I also express my thanks to many more people who have assisted in various ways in making this book a reality. I also thank the commissioning editor, Romina Skomersic for the time and attention during the entire editorial process and for inviting me to be the editor for this book.

> **Dr. Norbert Edomah** Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria

> > **1**

Section 1

Introduction

Section 1 Introduction

**3**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

An Overview

*Norbert Edomah*

in the development process.

to reach and attain set goals.

regional policies

Regional Development in Africa:

This chapter introduces the various dimensions to regional development in Africa. It starts off by highlighting why regional development matters and the important components of the development process. It further highlights the regional dimension of Africa's development in some important sectors, particularly the role of energy, urbanization, consumption, intra-African migration, and trade in Africa's development process. The adverse effect of conflicts, protests, riots, and demonstrations in Africa's development process resulting from issues of resource constraints and scarcity (of food, fuel, and water) was also addressed. It concludes by pointing out the challenges to development and the need for citizen participation

**Keywords:** Africa, development, development policy, intra-regional trade,

Regional economic prosperity depends upon realizing the full economic potential of all sub-regions. The territorial approach to the issue of development needs to be a part of the strategic thinking of national and regional bodies. However, how do we make the regions more competitive while at the same time prevent further socio-economic discrepancies in countries and regions? Certainly, place-based development is crucial in accelerating regional growth which focuses on the people, their assets, opportunities and challenges. Indeed, understanding the process of development and how development is to occur is crucial in mapping out strategies

Arguably, the idea of development applies equally to all nations and regions. Some development indicators such as access to energy, healthcare, education and other social amenities are crucial to accelerate the development process. The Challenge Network argues that there are three dominant high-level elements that

**1. Introduction: why regional development matters**

play a vital role in development of nations. These are [1]:

1.*Assets and liabilities* possessed by a society

2.*Goals and values* that society sets for itself

3.*Internal rules* by which a society operates.
