African Journal of Political Science

African Journal of Political Science ISSN 3461-2165 Vol. 8 (12), pp. 001-011, December, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Kwame Nkrumah and the proposed African common government

Aremu Johnson Olaosebikan

Department of History and International Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ado- Ekiti, P. M. B. 5363, ado- Ekiti, Nigeria. Email: [email protected]:+2348032477652.

Accepted 10 March, 2014

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.

Key words: Integration, cohesion, Pan-Africanism, unification, development