Heres the reason why Africa is behind,
This was told by a man in a central African country:

I worked in a secondary school,our head teacher was white.
We had a farm where we rear cattles,rams,goats.We sell them to generate revenue for the school,to help in running the sch.
So time came when our white head teacher had to leave and hand over to a native African of our country.
So when the African took over,the head teacher would send them to come and take a cow or ram or goat when his wife gives birth.
Then they would come back and take another when his son is getting married,then again when his cousin is getting married,then,then
before we knew it there was nothing left.

So you see this is the same prob we are facing all over Africa today.
This is what gradually entrenched corruption in our souls.
This is the reason we are behind.

I fear for my generation and the ones following.
May God help us and help our country.

@damiso
you think they dont know better?im sorry my sister you need to actually follow politicians on these campaigne rallys, i v seen a lot trust me

theres this old lady with like 4 children scattered in uk and u.s.a all doing good,they sent her 2 cars and got her a nice house,pay her enought for her upkeep all in a bid to make her stop following politicians for the 100 naira and derica of rice, in spite of all she has,at her age she will trek tens of miles and will struggle to collect her rice and themoney due her at the ward meetings,if anyone of them have that mind set that the politician wont do anything and so they should take their pound of flesh before he gets elected,why then are we complaining when these politicians enter and dont do a single thing,

common now,politicians cant refuse,they want that post for what they can gain so they r not bothered if we want 50 naira or 500naira as long as they will re coup that money when they get in,but once we as a people take a stance and refuse 500naira bribes,then we will have a clear idea of who will or will not deliver when they r elected, like you said if you dont another will,but if they all bring bags of rice and majority or a large amount of people do reject it then then will know its game up.

i agree funso williams chose the wrong platform to contest in,because honestly as far as tinubu is alive and well,pdp can never win lagos state sorry!
and tinubu s gotten thus far because of his personality,openess and the way he interracts that is not to say he is not corrupt or than he didnt bribe because he did all in all the fact remains that we as the electorate are the only ones to decide what we want, to continue collecting money and rice thereby giving useless politicians an advantage over credible principled ones, because right now,what we have are not politicians but thugs who are worse off than 100 times than the most brutal thug, trust me i have witnessed or hear first account narattives of incidents you wont believe from "so called prominent politicians", especially in osun/oyo state that im really familiar with

i disagree with lucabrasi on this issue, asia is comparatively ahead of african countries. how much of an head start did Taiwan have over Nigeria. how much of an head state did south korea have over Nigeria. Liberia has always been a free state, see where it is now. the GPA of india is rising faster than that most african countries. why is a mineral rich country like congo depending on western aid. Internal factors are a bigger problem than western influence when it comes to Africa. the inefficiency of the AU as a watch dog group is a big issue too.

@ Poster,

You are highly subjective towards the subject issue under discussion. In the light of the pictures presented to buttress your point, you painted a picture of a grotesque continent which does not totally embrace the true state of the African development at the moment.

If you want your readers to make objective discourse on the subject matter, make the pathway more clearer. This just my own view.

because corruption has eaten deep into the mind of everyone.
the pastors, the imans, the politicians, the youth, the unborn generation. eventually no one left out.
until we get some one that can really drive home the message of change, Africa may remain like this.
when a country like Nigeria with natural resources in abundance still goes out begging for Aids every day, it shows
how DUMB! Africa is.

Why Is Africa Behind? Please Take Time To Think This !

There is quite alot to say about why Africa remains economically unstable, technologically backward, and war torned.

ai). Western Influence- The west after the period of colonalism purposeful devised a scheme to prevent their assumed slaves from economic prosperity. They created the World bank, the international monetary fund (IMF), which is assumed by many naive or corrupt African leaders to save their economy because they were in need of money. These organisations that are systematically designed to crippled the economy of nations that took loans from them due to the "heart breaking interest rate" they incur, made many African nations indebted. These debt may have to be paid back therefore the gross domestic product (GDP) of such African countries are used to pay the debts. Now, when 80% for example of GDP of a country say Chad is used to pay in a monetary debt whose inflation is about 100% what happens? The value of the money within the country falls, leading to monetary devaluation.

Monetary devaluation is one of the greatest killers to any system seeking an economic headway, the west can now buy more resources from you guys with a lower purchasing power. That is, for every say sugar you used to sell for $4 per bag, you sell it to them at $0.25cents.

ii- United Nations- The United Nations is some how believed by third world countries that it is established to protect the interest of the third world. However, this is very untrue. In fact, the purpose of establishing this organisation is no more than to control a people (Africa) and impact the "thought forgotten colonalism" that prevents a certain faction from ever attaining equality with the west it. You may look at its effort of eradicate poverty and create peace in war torn zones. The main agenda is to create military bases in these regions where they of course initiated the war, in order to expand their absolute dominance and oppression in Africa. Another set up for example is the red cross,countries where organisation like the red cross exist have more AIDS victim than those without it. Do your research.

b) Africans themselves

i) Ethic and tribal conflicts- Instead of many Africans to unite and save their individual countries from indiscrimate problems that have in being in the third world, the often discriminate one another due to the ethnic or tribal affilation. This problem would never enable a suffering people to move ahead in any meaning development. The root of the problem could be traced to:

1)Having to look down on someone because he speaks a different language
2)Tribes having conflicts due to resources they possess that should be disturbed equally among themselves
3)Stereotype or hatred that is usually baseless.

ii) Corruption- Many African leaders and followers are very corrupt, they loot the government treasury and seek only to enrich themselves without the consideration that the resource belongs to the whole lot. This is due but not limited to:

1)No fear of God- many Africans are dead spiritually however much they deny me.
2)Selfishness- The need to satisfy yourself without considering the others without.
3)Bribery and Greed

iii) Over-Generalization of ideas without actions- African countries are indoctrinated with the belief that the western approach of civilization is the right way, therefore the educational, economic, or scientific approach should be in this line. However, the essence of why many Africans study is not to develop the well being of their nations but "just to earn a living". The sciencific and technological backwardness in these African countries is saddening. Students are not thought how to create new ideas or invent but rather use what is invented without the knowlegde of how to manufacture such equipment.

Problem with over generalization
1)Teachers and students may not develop facilites that could better the intrasturctural development to their representative nations
2) While it is good to learn from the west, Africa that is blessed with resourecs fails to use these resources to create equipment but depend on western paymasters to develop for them their wholed raw materials to be sold at prices that may be unaffordable.
3) Lack of need to become a superpower
4) Absolute dependence on nations with a technological or economic know how.

Solution to Africa's Problem
1. Adoption of a government that would be independent of western influence particularly against any form of imperalism.
2. Technological transfer. Willing Africans should be sent aboard to gain knowledge in mass from fields including but not limited:
a)Military science and aeronautics- to defend their countries against foreign attacks
b)Construction Engineering- to build state of the art intrastructure
c)Sciences/ Computing
3. Revolutionary trend- To remove any leader found engaged in corrupt practices and enforce a regime that doesn't necessary encourage western democracy or captialism. Also to change the minds of people that money doesn't mean much if people prefered gaining credibilty in the sight of God and the people. This campagne would prevent the worship of money instead of God.
4. Objective leaders and followers who need to effect a change.

The problems of africa is in the hands of africans,we live in the world as if it is a dream,not been part of reality.

If we want it,we have to get it,life is what you make it,you got to work it  out for sustenance and make the rules,just like the chimps in the jungle,pairs of life pairing eagles,succesfully raising offsrings in the wild to keep their blood lines,talk of lions,talk of elephats,talk of creatures in the sea and if not for greedy and ignorant man,they will live for ever.

We haven't even conquered cart pulling yet,not to talk of the roads, te rail,the sea and the air,and all this we can do,if we choose to

In the abundance of water,the fool is thirsty.Marley is a legend,listen to him,just like Fela Kuti.Wake up and live

"Almost every other race in the world either specializes in manufacturing, or has some kind of industry. However, when it comes to you, what do you have? Or what can you say that you truly create and contribute to this society? What? ,Fried chicken? Then you say, "I know, diamonds, silver and gold come from the motherland ,Africa." True!!! However, when diamonds were first discovered  Africa and acknowledged as valuable, you let foreigners come to mine these diamonds and take them from you. SO I ASK AGAIN WHAT DO YOU CREATE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SOCIETY TODAY? Thats exactly right NOTHING! This is because whether you believe it or not, you are under an evil spell, called the spell of sleep.

bawomolo:

i disagree with lucabrasi on this issue, asia is comparatively ahead of african countries. how much of an head start did Taiwan have over Nigeria. how much of an head state did south korea have over Nigeria. Liberia has always been a free state, see where it is now. the GPA of india is rising faster than that most african countries. why is a mineral rich country like congo depending on western aid. Internal factors are a bigger problem than western influence when it comes to Africa. the inefficiency of the AU as a watch dog group is a big issue too.

true they are but have you gone back in time to read what asia has gone through before getting to where they are today?
did they go through similar situation as nigeria's including western influence from u.s.s.r under stalin and kruschev before mao's hardline stance distancing china from ussr policies because of his dislike for him and his policies?
liberia has always been a free state but are you saying there has been no undue western influence directly or indirectly causing all that has happened there?
are american multinationals not behind taylor including american govt turning a blind eye to his lootings,killings and other atrocities?
do you really and honestly believe babangida just gave taylor a mansion in old ikoyi with cars and guards if not for some deals from his backers?
again go back to congo's history and see what they have gone through in the hands of king leopold of belgium(congo free state)making congo his and belgium's personal property literally e.t.c the amputations,and the evil legacy he left for generations of congolese,please go through this article in your free time and you will get what im trying to say about the external problems
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=16361

let me just re-terate here that i am not putting all of africa's problems at the feet of multinationals and western governments but they have a large slice of blace same as we the citizens of various african countries,the leaders, the african union can do precious little with every part of africa facing their own peculiar problems and the western world meddling and taking sides to favour them

My brothers what should we do?

as someone said , we just sit down abroad and complain, maybe making step migth help.
We are all gonna die anyway cus I know thats what most Nigerians are scared of, What ever it takes am ready and cool,

We can really make a change and work things out my brother, I have noticed so much changes and reactions from Nigeria youths mostly from those who stay abroad, It is us youth that can change and make things right for Nigeria after all we are the next generation and if we dont change or do things right , what future will our children live and depend on ?

Anyone with better contributions and ideas should give it out, look at what the youths in THIALAND did couple of weeks ago by creating a riot at their airport for one of their powerful government official to step them, he has to sure than to step down due to the public images and awearness,

We can do something to make Nigeria better instead of immigrating,

is it realistic to project that nigeria will become better in 15 years?

It is and all comes under the name VISION,

But atimes when we wanna predict or make a vision, we have to consider somethings that will make it realistic to be possible. In the case on Nigeria becoming better in 15years time Yes!!! But in the case of Nigeria better in just 15years No.