Revisiting the notion of 'African solution to African problems' : successes and challenges

The fight for the sovereignty of the African continent has been on the cards for centuries. Africans embarked on the wars of resistance in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with the view to rid themselves of colonial oppression and to be the architects of their own future. With the end of colonialism, this hope received new impetus. Unfortunately, neo-colonialism tendencies continued to hold Africans hostage until the birth of the African Union (AU) revived the hope that Africans would eventually succeed in deciding their destiny without Europeans. It was within this context that the notion of 'African solutions to African problems' became a policy objective. But, to what extent has this goal been achieved? This is the main question addressed in this paper. Succinctly, this paper discusses Africa's successes and challenges in achieving this goal and proffers solution to the way forward.