An Afro-Communal Ethic for Good Governance
An Afro-Communal Ethic for Good Governance

Summary/Abstract: The underdevelopment of most African states and the attendant poverty and general social disorder that characterize her polity, is a product of failure of leadership. The hydra-headed monster of corruption and tribal politics seem to have a crippling hold on most states in the continent. These ugly narratives have occasioned the need and the increasing clamor and agitations for good governance. However, in order to address the problem of crises of governance in Nigeria for instance, economic, political and constitutional restructuring to true federalism appear to have been proposed as a solution to all of her problems. As helpful as this proposal may be, I argue that something more fundamental and enduring is needed which is an ethic of identity and solidarity grounded in Afro-communitarianism. As an Afro-communal ethic, identity and solidarity cultivates and promotes the virtues of love, care, complementarity, justice, equity, fairness and patriotism in governance practices. Using the Philosophical methods of critical analysis and synthesis of the current realities of most African States, I argue that the above mentioned virtues are lacking in the governance practices of most sub-Saharan African states and that the lack of these virtues has given rise to tribal, ethnic, ineptitude and corrupt politics/leadership.

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