Pan-Africanism and Regionalism in Africa: The Journey so Far

Abstract

Pan-Africanism served as strategies for decolonization, anti-colonial and neo-colonial struggles, continental unity, and means of solving African developmental challenges. Whilst, African regionalism has been a means of collective self-reliance or strategy for economic transformation and development framework. The main objective of this paper, therefore, is to examine the historical evolution of pan-Africanism and regionalism in Africa from pre-colonial to post-colonial era in order to trace the interface between them. The paper assesses the extent to which regional integration in Africa has been able to achieve its stated targets over the years. It also investigates the various obstacles, constraints, and challenges that militate against accomplishment of its objectives, opportunities, and prospects. It then interrogates the narratives of the Western neoliberal theories of integration or approaches to African integration. The paper, therefore, suggests that there is need to deconstruct them in the quest or search for paradigm shift in African integration. It contends that there is need to evolve a new theoretical approach to African integration anchored on neo-neo-integrationism of post-neo-functionalism or post-modern integrationism of post-neo-nationalism that emphasizes the initial integration on security matters through post-nationalism with the subsequent and gradual phase of integration on economic and political spheres through neo-nationalism. This should be driven by the people or private sector rather than the government or the public sector. The study is essentially qualitative and historical relying on secondary data as sources/method of data collection, and qualitative-descriptive method of data analysis.

Keywords: Pan-Africanism, Regionalism, African integration, Post-neofuctionalism, Neo-neo-integrationism