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COPYRIGHT 2007 Professors World Peace Academy
In this study various parameters of development are introduced. The attitudes as well as ethical behaviors (dharma) of leaders, administrators and business groups are analyzed and their consequences on development efforts are discussed. In view of readily available natural resources, descriptive models for development are constructed and corresponding strategies for sub-Saharan Africa have been suggested.
INTRODUCTION
The material as well as spiritual growth and overall well-being of humans can be described as development, which in the physically measurable sense may be linked with proper nutrition and educational opportunities, adequate shelter, healthcare and social amenities.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest life expectancy at birth of around 40 years and has the highest proportion of under-nourished children in the world. Nearly half of the population is classified as absolute poor with per capital income of less than one US dollar per day. More than half of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is dependent on agriculture for their survival which is also the major source of income and employment and contributes about one third of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The majority of African farmers are resource poor in terms of readily available capital, labor utilization capability, land size and livestock volume as well as dependent on rain and existing soil quality for agriculture production. The soils are over-exploited and large areas have not been protected from soil erosion, which results in soils being washed away from the farmer's fields. The annual soil depletion rate in sub-Saharan Africa is equivalent to US $4 billion in fertilizer costs to restore (Sanchez 2002).
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) is considered to be least industrialized among the developing world. The majority of minerals, tropical agricultural and forest products are exported mainly in the raw form, to earn badly needed foreign exchange to meet basic demand for running the countries. It seems that greed and unethical attitude of leaders, administrators and business groups have made the situation worse. Countries like Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe that were at the verge of achieving the status of semi-industrialized have fallen back. It is only South Africa which is an industrialized country, but its industrial growth is also slowing down (Pokhariyal 2003). Diseases and their effects have plunged sub-Saharan Africa into further disarray. It has the highest infection rate of disease as well as the number of HIV/AIDS cases and about ninety percent of deaths due to malaria occur in this region. The water-borne diseases, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and tuberculosis (TB) are also quite prominent and cause diverse problems.
THE EXISTING SITUATION
The current situation of selected sub-Saharan African countries is analyzed from the economic and functional management aspects. It would then assist in formulating development strategies.
Economic aspects
The urban population, poverty level and other economic data for 25 sub-Saharan African countries is shown in Table 1, from which the following things can be inferred. It is Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Uganda that have increased the public expenditures (as percent of GNP) from 1980 to 1997. During that period the countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Niger, Zambia and Zimbabwe have shown a decrease in the public expenditures (as percent of GNP). There has been no significant change in the irrigated land from 1979-1981 period to 1995-1997 period. This has further added to the misery of people in these countries.
The average annual growth of GDP from 1990-1999 in comparison to 1980-1990 has shown increase for 11 countries, decrease for 10 countries, no change for one country, while three countries had incomplete data. During 2001-2002, 15 countries have shown increase whereas 10 countries have shown decrease in GDP. The most remarkable increases during 2001-2002 have been recorded by Angola, Mozambique, Rwanda, Eritrea, Uganda and Tanzania in that order, while Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast and Nigeria have recorded decreases with negative values.
The net private capital flow in 1998 as compared to 1990 has increased in Nigeria, South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Botswana and Malawi. However, up to 2004-2005 the situation has worsened due to internal unrest in Ivory Coast and due to HIV/AIDS pandemic in most of the other countries. Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Ghana were having negative net private capital flow in 1990 but have shown positive figures in 1998.
It is only Kenya, Zimbabwe and Niger that were having positive net private capital flow in 1990 but had negative figures in 1998. Foreign direct investment has appreciably increased in 1998 as compared to 1990 in most of the countries except Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Senegal and Zambia. The situation in 2004-2005 has not much improved since then in these countries.
During 1990-1999 an appreciable average annual growth in export of goods and services as compared to 1980-1990 has been recorded by Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The effects of political struggle and unrest of the 1980s have been overcome during the 1990s and it can be argued that establishment of peace has attributed to this growth. It can be noticed that during 2000-2005, with breakdown of peace due to election and land movement as well as deteriorating law and order situation, the growth achieved in Zimbabwe has almost disappeared. However, countries like Botswana, DRC, Kenya and Rwanda have recorded the decline in export of goods and services during the 1990s as compared to the 1980s. It is argued that Rwanda and DRC had internal strife while Kenya was involved in alleged high level corruption. After 2000, with the establishment of peace, the overall situation in countries like Angola, DRC, RC and Rwanda has improved whereas due to unrest and diseases countries like Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have experienced decline in various aspects.
It seems that in Kenya even after taking over by the new government in December 2002 elections there has been fair amount of wrangling amongst various ruling factions on many issues and the alleged...
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