The Role of the African Elites and the Underdevelopment of Africa: A Causal Re-visitation

The Underdevelopment of Africa has attracted scholarly literatures to explicate otherwise the root causes of the monumental histo-political, economic and social conditions of African backwardness. This study examines the role of the African elites and the underdevelopment of Africa: a causal re-visitation. Using secondary data, the paper argues that imperialism, colonialisme, and capitalism, with its attendant effects, have been seriously blamed for African underdevelopment, with much under- representation of the dubious roles of the African elites towards the development of African continent. The paper finds that the role of African elites have played and are still playing shows that African continent wouldbe hardly emancipated from the control and domination of the stage- managed political, economic, social and technological dependency. However, the paper conclude that development in African can only be achieved by themselves with their own structurally self-made institutions and resources, charged with orientational change embedded in truthful, transparent, and patriotic governance from African leaders. Thus, some recommendations are given to reposition Africa and get rid of underdevelopment.