Kwame Nkrumah and the proposed African common government

Abstract

Between 1957 and 1966, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana fought vigorously for the creation of a Union of African
States with a Common African Government. His optimism for the unity and cohesion of Africa as a lever for
continental development was unparalleled. However, his dream never became a reality due to stiff
opposition from African leaders, most of whom feared the loss of their sovereignty, and the West, due to
selfish interest. This notwithstanding, this paper posits that Nkrumah’s mooted idea of unity government is
still the best option if Africa will be able to overcome her precarious socio-economic and political tragedies
of intermittent wars and conflicts, poverty and exploitation of her natural resources by the West; even in the
face of daunting challenges. The paper concludes that only a union government could enable Africa to
compete favourably with other political and economic blocs in this age of globalization and continental
integration process going on in various other continents of the world.