Developmental States in Africa? A Review of Ongoing Debates and Buzzwords

What is it about?

The possibilities for ‘developmental states’ in Africa has become a subject of interest, if a speculative one, for scholars, development practitioners and African leaders alike. This article gives an overview of debates concerning the usefulness of the ‘east Asian model’ being utilised in sub-Saharan Africa. It reviews the literature concerning the emergence of developmental states in Africa. The conclusion highlights how historic developmental states were often the product of trial and error and rather than a grand-plan. The idea of developmental states therefore works less as a model and more as a ‘buzzword’ that has its own uses and effects.

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