Samuel Enajite Enajero, has written a book that contrasts the economics of sub-Saharan Africa with other countries, specifically in Europe and Asia, where collective institutions exist to usher in economic development and social prosperity. The book is a comprehensive study on the economics of sub-Saharan Africa.

Enajero’s Book Discusses the Absence of Collective Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Collective Institutions in Industrialized Nations by Samuel E. Enajero describes the role of historical collective institutions famous in Europe and Asia compatible with today’s prosperity compared to institutions in pre-colonial Africa. According to Dr. Enajero, this book’s scope and purpose argue an important institution historically peculiar to all advanced nations. This institution is prominent in practice as much in free-market capitalism as in communist dictatorship countries of the world. That is the institution of social collectivism. 

As transcribed in Samuel’s book, he implored that collectivism recognizes human interdependence and an all-inclusive and charitable society. It assembles and enables men and women to create economic opportunities rather than wait for them, thus generating the economic man and molding a nation into an organic whole. It means that people sharing the same space are interdependent and face mutual dependence values or costs. Mutual dependence cost equals external cost plus decision-making cost. And the problem of sub-Saharan Africa is the failure to eliminate or minimize external costs through the regimentation of activities. 

It also dwells on the truancy of collectivism in sub-Saharan Africa at length. Dr. Enajero wrote, “In sub-Saharan Africa, before the arrival of the Europeans, however, the political economy of kings, chiefs, few servants, and peasants portrayed an economically uncooperative society.” He continued that taxes in pre-colonial sub-Saharan Africa were rare and, if they existed, were not designed to stimulate the provision of economic resources or provision of public goods. The Economy was family-based, and apart from periodic homage required of the ruled, there was no link between the elites and the peasants. Perhaps, massive embezzlement of public funds in sub-Saharan Africa’s modern democracies could also be due to the absence or lack of collectivism at the state level. And because collectivism and thus social services do not exist in sub-Saharan Africa, it is only rational that individuals who make it to the government loot funds to provide social services to their family or a whole village.

Contrary to common beliefs that economics is about the “pursuit of self-interest,” as stipulated by Adam Smith (1776), the “pursuit of self-interest” does not necessarily mean selfishness. For example, an entrepreneur relies on public capital and skilled laborers to succeed; a producer depends on sufficient consumption to produce at capacity; a firm’s profit is intensified with higher consumer income, etc. Thus, capitalism is a function of collective institutions.

Moreover, modern development theories are constructed around macroeconomic variables. Modern macroeconomic development tools are money, banking, interest rate, savings, trade liberalization, financial assets, deficit, and debt management—all based on an aggregation of data and variables. Thus, collectivism is more pronounced in macroeconomic policies. Yet, many emerging nations of sub-Saharan Africa do not find it mandatory to build all-inclusive economies by mobilizing resources en masse.

Author Bio

Samuel Enajero is a researcher, visiting assistant professor, lecturer, and academic author. He obtained his Ph.D. (2000) in Economics in Public Choice/Public Finance. He taught at various universities at undergraduate and graduate courses in economics and business. Samuel has presented peer-reviewed papers in many academic conferences and is presently on housing and economic development. 

Moreover, Dr. Enajero also published articles in peer-reviewed journals. He had personal knowledge of how the federal and local governments’ partnership prod development at the masses by working in the City government’s Department of Planning and Development. Samuel complemented his academic background in the public choice/public finance with practical, real-world experience.