Excavating the root of poverty of African Nations: A comparative analysis of diamond’s bio-geographism and Acemoglu and Robinson’s institutionism

Abstract

The conundrum of the poverty of African nations has remained despite various ratiocinations that have entertained it with their resultant proposed solution futile as poverty continues to ravage the continent of Africa. It is in line with the rational efforts to get to the root of this matter that this essay engages in comparative analysis of Diamond‟s bio-geographism and Acemoglu and Robinson‟s institutionism. While Jared Diamond opines that disparity in the prosperity of the nations is the result of bio-geographical differences that enabled some sections of the world to settle earlier and then move ahead of others, Acemoglu and Robinson aver that prosperity or poverty of the nations is a matter of choice of economic and political institutions. A critical comparative analysis of both views reveals Diamond‟s bio-geographism as having upper hand. However, the two hypotheses are complementary rather than antagonistic. It is unfortunate that their unification, which provides incontrovertible explanation vis-à-vis the poverty of African nations, seems to hold dismal hope for prosperity of African nations as the solution appears to be beyond the capacity of Africans.