Agentic Governance in Africa: Managing the Tension between Dependence and Self-Reliance

Abstract

Several governance discourses on Africa are fraught with lamentations about how
Africa is being manipulated to remain dependent on the Global North (and more
recently, parts of the Global East). This viewpoint is complemented by assertions on
why Africa should instead isolate itself in order to be self-reliant, giving no room for
external influence. This stands in counterpose to the globalist prescription which
argues that Africa’s development lies only in its greater integration into the global
political economy, resulting in various forms of dependence on and interdependence
with other systems outside Africa. Seen from some perspectives, each of these
positions is an extreme option and the pull towards either of them results in tension.
But how practical and sustainable is isolationism in the massively globalized and
almost technologically borderless 21st century in which several existential challenges
are shared across continents? Additionally, how best can Africa manage the fears
of vulnerability and the need for interdependence in the same century of increased
options for the continent’s self-reliance? This paper demonstrates how more agency
in governance is necessary for a careful management of the tension between
dependence and self-reliance in 21st century Africa. It argues that the degree of
dependence, vulnerability and self-reliance of Africa varies from one sector to
another, with the implication that to manage the perceived tension, Africa needs
to (i) maximize obvious opportunities of self-reliance without waiting on external
assistance; (ii) accept its vulnerability, weakness and dependence when those are the
only available options; and (iii) leverage available opportunities of interdependence
and partnership.