© 2018 Yahaya Yakubu. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-
Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use,
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Towards Enduring Democratic Polities in Africa: Prospects,
Challenges and Trajectories
By Yahaya Yakubu
Nile University
Abstract- By equating the functionality of regimes to indigenous culture, the study explores the causal
mechanisms through which cultural conditions institutional outcomes and design. Upon review of relevant
literature, the study opines the confounding role of culture on the nature of institutions cannot be
downplayed. Building on Almond and Verba’s perception of Participant Political Culture, it claims
democracy in Africa is likely to remain unresponsive, and neither can it bring about predetermined
outcomes such as developments, growth, equality, equity and the likes. It further claims the functionality
of any political arrangement is more likely when such arrangement embodies social accepted norms,
values and beliefs. Hence, it contends that for democracy to function in Africa there abounds the utmost
need for contextual domestication as opposed to the current system of transplantation. Consequently,
democratic values inherent in the dominant indigenous culture as a possible solution to the crisis of
governance should not be dismissed. While the research does not assents to return to traditionalism, it
propagates for the contextual domestication of democracy in tandem with prevailing norms and existential
political and societal realities across the African continent.
Keywords: post-colonial africa, democracy, culture, institutions and domesticating democracy.
GJHSS-F Classification: FOR Code: 360199
TowardsEnduringDemocraticPolitiesinAfricaProspectsChallengesandTrajectories
Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of:
Global Journal of HUMAN-SOCIAL SCIENCE: F
Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal
Online ISSN: 2249-460x & Print ISSN: 0975-587X
Political Science
Publisher: Global Journals
Volume 18 Issue 4 Version 1.0 Year 2018