Why History Is Important in Africa’s Economic Development Narrative

Abstract

Ocran makes a compelling case for the consideration of Africa’s historical experiences, particularly before the arrival of the first Europeans, in the economic development discourse about the continent. He argues that the disruptive events that took place in Africa from the fifteenth century up until the twentieth century: slavery, colonisation, post-independence economic collapse, need to be understood in order to proffer suggestions regarding development policy options for Africa. Again, Ocran maintains that insights from economic thought and theory over the years, especially in Western Europe, do not appear to have provided useful direction for economic development in Africa. He suggests that the ideas from economic theory and the policies that flow from them have to be interrogated against the backdrop of Africa’s peculiar history and the changing dynamics of the world economic order.