National Cohesion and "Unity is the First Requisite" for Africa's Intergration and Economic Development

Abstract

Africas regional integration is seen as a prerequisite for phasing out the myriad of socio-economic ills. It is for this reason that African governments have over the years searched for unity in various forms and shapes. Numerous of pacts are signed and conferences attended in the hope of unity yet the efforts have been abysmal. All various schemes have failed to achieve the target goal. Part of the problem may lie in the paradigm of lack of national unity and cohesion among the various states in Africa. There are conflicts and acts of secession within the various states of Africa which makes the continental agenda of unity less focused. It is for this reason that the research tries to find out the relationship that national unity and cohesion has on Africas integration and economic development. The paper examines the elements, nature and obstacles to national unity and cohesion in the context of Ghana. It is also motivated by the models of unity proposed by Nkrumah as well as the Dobsons concept of regional integration. It analyzes the various elements that have thwarted the efforts of regional integration for the past half a century and thereby tries to find out the reason for the flop in his scheme. In trying to access the level of integration on the continent, past and present integration schemes, regional groupings and OAU/AU are thoroughly examined. Conflicts, especially intra-state ones are found out to be the main bane to national unity, cohesion and economic development. A cross section of selected African countries will be compared to find out the cost of conflict to development. Core values that well embedded in the Ghanaian society that are deemed to bolster unity and cohesion are conceptualized into a spectrum ? Ohenes Model of regional integration. In the model, elements of national cohesion are projected towards a path of unity and regional integration to the destination of development. However, along this path are elements of conflicts and national disunity (discussed in the paper) which is regarded as hurdles, and need to overcome, in order to achieve socio-economic development.