Social Revolutions and Governance Aspirations of African Millennials: Emerging from the Political Shadows of Strongmen

by Adegbola Ojo

Overview

This book discusses the role of millennials in political leadership and governance in Africa going forward. Africa is in the process of significant change. The nature of this change, dimensions, and what change might bring will depend on young people who now represent three quarters of the population of the continent. This book contributes to ongoing discussions and provides a pathway and guide for a new generation of young African leaders to emerge and not to miss the opportunity for real transformative change.

The book provides a thought-provoking analysis of the political and economic systems in Africa. In its analysis of development challenges and opportunities, it shows how millennials can be the catalyst for change in leadership and governance behavior. Consequently, the book argues how this can improve the fortunes of Africa's estimated 1.3 billion people. It is inspired by the factual circumstances of Africa’s significant history, a deep understanding of current powerrelations, and motivated by an ambitious vision of Africa’s role in the world.

The book combines a deep explanation of concepts with a range of techniques and recent illustrative applications. It also embraces a multi-method approach that allows for the embedding of primary and secondary forms of data. A cross-fertilization of ontological arguments and analytical techniques from a range of allied disciplines further contribute to the book’s novelty. The book appeals to multiple stakeholders including students, researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030885465
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	11/06/2021
Series:	SpringerBriefs in Political Science
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Adegbola Ojo is Director of Teaching and Learning and Programme Leader at the School of Geography, University of Lincoln, UK. He sits on the Management Group of the Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health and he is a member of the UK-Nigeria Diaspora Covid-19 Response Consortium. Adegbola is part of the Advisory Board of the African International Documentary Festival Foundation (AFIDFF). He is also Director of Innovation, Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange at AFIDFF. Adegbola is a member of the International Advisory Board (IAB) and College of Collaborating Experts, Dominican University, Nigeria. He has held scholarly positions in various Higher Education Institutions, and he combines his academic proficiency with a wealth of experience gained from industry practice.

He received his PhD in Quantitative Human Geography from the University of Sheffield, his MSc in Geographic Information Science from the University College London, and his BSc in Geography and PlanningSciences from the University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. His research embraces novel transdisciplinary practices for understanding and responding to the complexities of humanitarian science, social justice and societal prosperity. He has published books, monographs, evidence reports and research articles with reputable journals. Outside his academic and research activities, he continues to actively involve himself in voluntary and charitable work with various organisations in the southern and northern hemispheres.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Salient Features of Being a Young African and the Effects of Poor Leadership.- Chapter 3. Understanding Political Strongmen and Rising Out of their Shadows.- Chapter 4. Determinants of the Propensity for Social Revolutions Among African Millennials.- Chapter 5. Mapping Africa’s Possible Future Political Geography Based on Governance Aspirations of Millennials.- Chapter 6. Conclusion.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This book breaks new ground in examining the part that millennials might play in
reforming governance in African states. The book is especially welcome at a time
when the credentials of many elderly African leaders are being questioned as never
before—perhaps this is the era of the ‘African Spring’—and the restlessness of
young Africans seems to increase by the day. The author provides a strong conceptual
foundation for the book, deftly handling the central notions of governance,
millennials, aspirations, democracy, nationalism and leadership. A striking element
of the book is its innovative methodology, focusing on quantitative analysis of big
data on 29,000 millennials’ attitudes across 36 African countries. Building on the
recognised expertise of Dr Ojo, this quantitative approach is a major contribution tothe literature and a special selling point for the book. The central argument is that
African states need to reflect the voice of the upcoming generations rather than the
voice of the elderly elites currently clinging to power often by force, electoral
manipulation and corruption. Dr Ojo may sometimes seem controversial or even
provocative—for instance, some young people in African countries might be indignant
at being characterised as anti-democratic nationalists or as exhibiting colonial
cravings—but he is to be commended for having the courage of his determination to
go wherever the data points. The governance of African states is widely taught in
universities across the world, either in dedicated modules on African politics or as
part of comparative politics modules. I have no doubt that this book will quickly find
its rightful place inthe libraries and curricula of these institutions and that it will also
appeal to a general readership interested in following the exciting political journey of
Africa’s young millennials.”
—Tim Gray, Emeritus Professor of Political Thought, Newcastle University

“This important book links the complexities of contemporary politics in Africa to the
particularities of youth activism in a continent with one of the fastest growing
populations of young people. The essays successfully combine the anguish of
dysfunctional leadership and decadent institutions with the optimism of renewal,
announcing a renaissance of genius, commitment and fresh assertive voices of hope.
The book compellingly and adroitly communicates the expansive possibilities of still
unfolding and unpredictable processes capable of creating a new Africa, a new light
and a new horizon.”
—Toyin Falola, University Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair in the
Humanities, the University of Texas and author of Nigerian Political Modernity and
Postcolonial Predicaments