An Examination of The Role of Ethnicity, Religion, and Economic Indices in The Fragmentation of The Crisis of Governance in Africa

Abstract

The study examined the role of ethnicity, religion, and economic factors as key indicators that have contributed to the governance crises in Africa, and explored strategies to mitigate their effects. It evaluated these elements in various African nations, with a special focus on Nigeria, where they are particularly prominent. The study revealed that the government's failure to address issues such as poverty and corruption hinders development, leading to conflicts that often revolve around ethnicity and religion. The research indicated that robust economic and corporate governance are essential for Africa's revitalization. The conclusion of the paper suggests that Africa can improve by moving beyond narrow tribal and ethnic loyalties, emphasizing the importance of credible elections as a way to oust corrupt leaders. The research methodology included a descriptive approach and content analysis, which involved collecting scholarly articles from books, journals, magazines, online sources, and newspapers. The study also reviewed the Conflict Transformation theory, which argues that, despite Africa's rich human and natural resources, poor governance, corruption, and significant external debt are major obstacles.