Dr. Dele Olowu is a freelance consultant on governance and capacity development. He was formerly Professor of Administration and Local Government in Nigeria and has taught and conducted research in numerous other countries, including the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Ghana, Botswana, Namibia, Canada and the United States. He has served as adviser to African governments and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank, as well as on development policy management boards in Africa and Europe. Olowu has pastored churches in Nigeria, Ethiopia and the Netherlands and currently oversees the network of Redeemed Christian Church of God churches in the Netherlands and the rest of mainland Europe. He has studied at the Universities of Ibadan and Ife and Birmingham University and is the author of several books and over 60 articles. Dr. Paulos Chanie is an Ethiopian. He holds a Ph.D in Development Studies (2007) from The Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands. Dr. Paulos has been teaching in tertiary level educational institutions, doing research and consulting for local and international organizations in areas of public policy and administration, development management, decentralization and civil service reform. He has published in the areas of public service management, ethnic politics, clientelism, civil service reform and decentralization. He has served as head of department at Addis Ababa University and General Secretary of Ethiopian Management Professionals Association. Dr. Paulos is currently an Assistant Professor at Addis Ababa University and the Director of Research at OSSREA (Organization for Social Science research in Eastern and Southern Africa).

Provides a new paradigm for understanding the past and future of African politics

Chapter 1. Introduction. State Fragility and State Building in Africa.- Part I. Drivers of Fragility.- Chapter 2. Kenya: The Social Foundations of State Fragility: Challenges of AGrowing Democracy; Otieno Aluoka.- Chapter 3. Zimbabwe: Institutionalized Corruption and State Fragility; Langtone Maunganidze.- Chapter 4. South Africa: State Fragility as State Incapacity in the Post-Apartheid Era; Sifiso Ndlovu.- Part II. Impact of Fragility on Citizens and Neighbouring States.- Chapter 5. Zimbabwe: The Impact of Fragility on Social Services, 2000-2008; Norbert Musekiwa.- Chapter 6. Southern African Region: Regional Dynamics of Fragile States -Zimbabwe in the Southern Africa Region; Lee M. Habasonda.- Chapter 7. Ethiopia: Effectiveness of Capacity Building Programs in Fragile States; Wisdom Gagakuma and Zigiju Samuel.- Chapter 8. Angola: Overcoming Resource Curse: A Post-Conflict Governance Analysis; Albert Arko-Cobbah and Basie Olivier.- Chapter 9. Congo DRC: State Fragility And Capacity Building In Sub-Saharan Africa; Mukole Kongolo and Agostino M. Zamberia.- Chapter 10. Lesotho: Electoral Reforms and State Fragility; Oscar Gakuo Mwangi.- Chapter 11. Conclusion: From State Fragility to State Resilience; Way Forward.

This book describes the contrast between the strong economic growth and democratization that have occurred in Africa and its stalling political progress. It presents and discusses fragility as the phenomenon that has caused the state to remain weak and faltering and has led to at least one third of the continent's citizens living in fragile states. Following the examination of the drivers of fragility and the impact of fragility on citizens and neighbouring states, the book discusses capacity building approaches. This part shows how effective states can be built on the African continent, a process that would result in a change from state fragility to state resilience. It is based on lessons learnt from close studies of the nations where the state has been most developed in the region, in Eastern and Southern Africa. The book provides and responds to the most recent and up-to-date information on African development and uses insights of people who have lived and worked in the continent for most of their lives.