Good Growth and Governance in Africa: Implementing Rather than Re-thinking Development Strategies

Given that the economic growth performance of Africa has in general been disappointing for the last half century, the editors of Good Growth and Governance in Africa: Rethinking Development Strategies have presented 18 articles written by top experts in development and by prominent policy makers. The contents of the book were assembled by the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD) in order to reverse the trend of economic stagnation and sustain the accelerated economic growth experienced by a handful of African countries in recent years. To reverse economic stagnation and to sustain economic growth in Africa, the development experts and policy makers who participated in the seminars have suggested the application of East Asian developmental state model to African countries. I believe that all Africans would share my sentiment that “Good Growth and Governance in Africa” is a noble mission. However, the question that seems to concern a number of African scholars and policy makers about this book is, instead of encouraging the implementation of already existing plans by the Economic Commission for Africa in 2011, why is Africa used as testing ground for a number of development models forged mainly to satisfy western donors?