Rethinking Africa’s Dependency Paradigm: Industrial Development as the Pathway to Economic Sovereignty and Employment Creation
Posted: 15 Dec 2025
Okechukwu Nwosu
University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Date Written: August 05, 2025
Abstract
For over six decades, African economies have remained embedded in an external dependency structure characterized by the export of raw materials and the import of manufactured goods. Despite successive development strategies, this pattern has persisted, constraining structural transformation and perpetuating unemployment. The growing dominance of digital economies, geopolitical realignments, and the green transition underscore the urgency of rethinking Africa’s growth model. This paper argues that Africa’s economic sovereignty and employment generation depend on transitioning from an extractive dependency model to an inclusive industrial development paradigm. Drawing on dependency and endogenous growth theories, it explores how regional value chains, SME-driven manufacturing, and digital financial inclusion can catalyze industrial learning, productivity, and sustainable job creation. The study concludes that Africa’s path to self-determined prosperity lies not in aiddependence or commodity exportation but in nurturing endogenous capacity for production, innovation, and technological diffusion.
Suggested Citation:
Nwosu, Okechukwu, Rethinking Africa’s Dependency Paradigm: Industrial Development as the Pathway to Economic Sovereignty and Employment Creation (August 05, 2025).
Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5708182