Beyond Walter Rodney’s Development Discourse: Idealism To Praxis

ABSTRACT

The work argues the thesis that the adoption of Walter Rodney’s development discourse can serve as a viable paradigm for practically achieving the goals of integrated development in contemporary Africa if emphasis is placed on human development and effective leadership. Leadership, derives from the verb ‚to lead‛. To lead means to ‚guide or cause to follow one‛ or to direct, as by persuasion or influence, to a course of, to conduct in a certain direction, or to be the head. Thus, leadership involves providing guidance to people for the purpose of achieving some specific goals. Leadership is the ability to take an initiative to motivate, to influence, to direct and control the thoughts, opinions and actions of the followers in any given society towards the achievement of purposeful desired goals. By human development, we mean the holistic qualitative improvement of human person and the society. Human development is when there are continuous opportunities given and open to man to improve his skill and abilities, to unleash his potentials, to be creative, self-disciplined, responsible, educated and patriotic. We therefore submit that the development of Africa is and will continue to be very much dependent on its human development and effective leadership. Almost all the countries in Africa need this paradigm shift in their leadership roles towards effective development.