Questions Without Answers? The African Underdevelopment Story: The Zambian Case

Description

Zambia, a Southern African nation, is a land-linked country that shares borders with Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The country has a population of 19 million people, accounting for 65% under the age of 25 and 52% under the age of 18 (SNDP, 2021). Zambia is also endowed with abundant natural resources such as minerals, forestry, water, and arable land. However, the country is among the poorest nations in the world, recording a poverty rate of above 60 percent and unemployment levels above 6 percent, mainly affecting youths and women. The challenges raise a lot of questions on a country like Zambia, which has a small population with all the resources required for development. These problems not only affect Zambia but also other African countries especially those in the sub-Saharan region. The cause of underdevelopment of Africa include colonial rule effect, poor governance, domestic and global economic policies, among others.