Emerging Issues in Contemporary African Economies (PDF)

Steve Onyeiwu is Professor of Economics at Allegheny College, USA. Born and raised in southwestern Nigeria, Onyeiwu was educated at the University of Connecticut, USA; University of Sussex, UK; Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; and University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He has taught at Wesleyan University, Trinity College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, all of which are in the United States.

"Onyeiwu has written an important book that captures the complexity and diversity of Africa while identifying some common lessons for development policy. Unlike other approaches, Onyeiwu's evolutionary framework stresses the importance of contingency, path dependence, and institution building. If the countries of Africa heed Onyeiwu's advice and learn from past mistakes and successes the continent's future can be a bright one." - John Gowdy, Professor of Economics and Administrative Head of the Department of Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA

"Using an evolutionary analysis backed by solid empirical evidence, Onyeiwu painstakingly dissects one of the most fundamental questions on Africa today, which is whether the recent growth spurt in the continent can be sustained. The book meets the expectations of both experienced social scientists interested in Africa as well as readers seeking a friendly yet intellectually sound introduction to Africa's past, recent, and prospective economic development. It is a unique resource for teaching African development." - Léonce Ndikumana, Professor and Director of the African Development Policy Program, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

"Onyeiwu has produced a general survey text that treats the myriad economic experiences of African nations in the twenty-first century for use in American colleges and universities. His work offers a refreshing counterbalance to works such as those of George Ayittey and William Easterly, because it is built on a premise that one is obliged to search for the strands of success that exist and search for possibilities for greater success amongst the rubble of failures that are strewn along the historical tracks of post-colonial Africa. In documenting and exploring contemporary Africa's economic experiences Onyeiwu details the failures endured, but he, like the students he has had enrolled in his courses, is