African Renaissance and Pan-Africanism : the ethical leadership nexus

Abstract

African Renaissance being a call for a re-birth of the African continent, advocates social cohesion, growth, development, promotion of values and ethics, and the establishment of Africa as a significant player in global affairs. The idea of a renaissance is an acknowledgement of a failure, in part or in whole, to realize Pan-Africanism aspirations of total liberation and unity of people of African descent. The Philosophy and movement of Pan-Africanism evoked a consciousness that questioned oppression and colonial domination. Decades after the actualization of self-determination by many African states, a united and advanced Africa remains farfetched. The re-birth of Africa is certainly long overdue. Multiple regional and sub-regional integration initiatives are reflections of attempts to achieve African renaissance and pan-Africanism. The obstacle however lies precisely in the leadership character and steps which undermines transformation. This paper argues from a political systems position that at the core of policy conceptualization, formulation and implementation, lies the human element; political actors and bureaucrats. The character and orientation of leaders, being ethical or unethical, invariable influences or gives colouration to policy outcomes. Therefore, the question of leadership in relation to ethics, character, critical thinking and constructive will sufficiently come to the fore in conversations about African renaissance and pan-Africanism. Ethical leadership invariably constitutes the nexus between Africa‘s current reality and the actualization of lofty aspirations of African renaissance and pan-Africanism.