Colonial Legacy and Its Impact: Analysing Political Instability and Economic Underdevelopment in Post-colonial Africa

School Of International Relations and Diplomacy, Beijing Foreign Studies University, 100089, Beijing, China

^* Corresponding author: 202220116011@bfsu.edu.cn

Abstract

This study examines the enduring effects of colonial legacy on the nation-building and development path of post-colonial African countries. It investigates how various forms of colonial rule have shaped African institutional frameworks and led to a persistence of colonial institutional structures and normative governance theories across time. The remnants of colonialism are frequently implicated in Africa's enduring political instability and economic underdevelopment. By tracing the impact of colonial legacy, this study illuminates the challenges faced by African states in their process of decolonization and modernization. It delves into the autocratic characteristics of African bureaucrat system bequeathed by colonial powers, the ethnic division exacerbated by the “divide-and-rule” tactic, and the excessive authority of local chiefs bolstered by the in-direct rule. This paper also confronts the Afro-pessimism perspective, which posits skepticism towards Africa's self-driven recovery, by examining the less-discussed effects of colonialism on African institutional and economic frameworks. Employing a historical and analytical approach, the paper presents the political and economic hurdles faced by African countries and analyses the role of colonial legacy in these challenges. The findings highlight the necessity for African states to transcend these colonial constraints to pave its way for genuine political stability and economic prosperity.