CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

One of the most salient features of contemporary globalization is the increase in migration around the world. Mass migration is one of the main global forces shaping the world in the 21st century and one consequence of this phenomenon which is already evident is the emergence of a large Diaspora from the South in the affluent countries of the West.

However, despite the huge number of African Diaspora in Western host countries, they have rarely been the object of serious study and consequently very little are known about them and their activities.

A Diaspora is a community of people living outside their country of origin. Today, African migrants are part of a large-scale, worldwide Diaspora or transnational community which is becoming one of the major global forces shaping to the direction and trends in the 21st century. One of the main reasons is the sheer size of the Diaspora an estimated 175 million worldwide, ten million of whom are migrants from Africa. In 1965 some 75 million Africans lived abroad equivalent to 2.3 per cent of the world population at the time; in 1975 it was 84 million (2.1 per cent) and in 1985 it was 105 million (2.2 per cent) in jumping to today’s 175 million, or 2.9 per cent of the world population today in just a decade (West Africa, 2002:25).

The African Diaspora refers to the communities throughout the world that are descended from the historic movement of people from Africa predominantly to the Americas, Europe, Asia and the middle east among other areas around the Central Americans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas by way of the Atlantic Slave trade with the largest populations followed by the USA then others.

However, African Diaspora discourse and scholarly work is changing in recent years to include various other populations of Africa descent who have been displaced and dispersed due to enslavement, genocide and other global forces. As such, theories about mythical homelands, coactive memory came up. The experience of racism and the emergence of Pan-African sentiment are common among nations about the African diaspora. In the contemporary moment, the ever increasingly demand for labour accounts for the on-going displacement of Africans. Although four (4) circulatory phases of migration out of Africa has been identified to talk about the Africans diaspora, other scholars have entertained the possibility for various forms of diasporization among African-descented people (Mckihick 2006).

First and foremost it is important to note that the slave trade was the major source through which African people (blacks) were dispersed all over the world. The slave trade has remained by far the most important factor which dispersed African people and their culture all over the globe. Quantitatively therefore, the trade can be treated as the origin of the diaspora.

Much of the African diaspora was dispersed throughout Asia, Europe and the Americans during the Arab and the Atlantic slave trades. Beginning in the 8th century, Arils took Africans slaves from the central and eastern portion of the continent (where they were known as the Zani) and sold them into markets.

Another source through which African people were dispersed all over the world was voluntary migration. These migrations certainly might have been going on since the abolition of the slave trade. It is generally agreed that the trade took place between the ninth or sixteenth centuries.

There were 3 main sources of demand for slave trade which are; the demand for domestic slaves by affluent groups in Mediterranean urban societies. Secondly, the source of demand for slave trade in the Mediterranean was military. The building of a militarily powerful state in a region with a relatively how total population imposed on the mediator. State the necessity to recruit soldiered from outside population. The third source of slave demand was for labour in agriculture and mining in the late ninth century.

Africa’s economic performance in the second half of the twentieth century has been poor. One, often informal, explanation for Africa’s under-development is its history of extraction, characterized by two events: the slave trades and diaspora. Bairoch (1993, p. 8) writes that “there is no doubt that a large number of negative structural features of the process of economic underdevelopment have historical roots going back to Slave trade and diaspora.”

Manning (1990) echoes Bairoch, but focuses on the slave trades, writing: “Slavery was corruption: it involved theft, bribery, and exercise of brute force as well as ruses. Slavery thus may be seen as one source of pre-colonial origins for modern corruption.”

Recent empirical studies suggest that Africa’s history can explain part of its current underdevelopment. These studies focus on the link between African diasporic experience and current underdevelopment (Bertocchi and Canova, 2002; Englebert, 2000a, b; Grier, 1999; Lange, 2004; Acemoglu et al., 2001, 2002). However, the other important event in Africa’s history, its slave trades, has yet to be examined empirically. For a period of nearly 500 years, from 1400 to 1900, the African continent simultaneously experienced four slave trades.

African Diaspora in the economic, social and political development of their respective countries of origin. The study assesses the social capital, capacity and constraints of organizations established by African Diaspora and their potential role in sponsoring and promoting underdevelopment in Africa. The focus of this study is on the positive and negative activities of the African Diaspora on the development the continent.

It is on the light of this that this research is conducted to examine the nature and effect of diaspora on African development. To achieve this, this work is sub-divided into five chapters for better analysis and understanding of the subject topic.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Dayo (1999) said that without feedback uncertainty persists; feedback therefore enables the sender and receiver of the information- that is the message, to feel more confident about the accuracy of the message.

Africa as a continent has experienced high rate of diaspora more than any other continent in the world and it has affected the continent physically, politically, economically, socio-culturally as well as dwindling the development of the continent.

Africa is seen as a blessed continent and also as a route to other continents of the world and yet. Upon its strategic position in the world, the inhabitants still suffer under-development compare to their counterparts.

Many Africans were dispersed all over the world through slave trade which was the major means of Africans diaspora. Slave trade ranging from the Atlantic-Slave trade, Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, etc. led to the current underdevelopment of the continent.

Thus, this research work aims to investigate the effects and nature of diaspora on Africa as a continent and to proffer possible solutions were need be for the growth and enhancement of the continent.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objective of the research is to thoroughly investigate on the nature and effects of diaspora on African development. Other objectives of this study include:

1. Tracing the origin and development of African diaspora

2. Assessing the different types of diaspora

3. Examining role of slave trade on African diaspora

4. Assessing the nature of African diaspora

5. Examining the diverse effects of Diaspora on African development and the way forward.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The key objectives of this current study were developed into a set of questions for the research project. As a result, the study addressed the following key research questions:

1. How did African diaspora originate?

2. What are the different types of diaspora?

3. What is the roles slave trade has played on African diaspora?

4. What nature did African diaspora took?

5. Does Diaspora have any effects on African?

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study provides insight into the assessment of the nature and effects of diaspora on African development.

The study seeks to ascertain whether or not the diaspora have effected positively or negatively on the development of Africa as a continent. To examine the role of the slave trade on African diaspora as well as its diverse effects on the continent.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Africa was chosen because of her historic importance in the world, much have been written about African diasporic experience but researchers have paid little or no attention to its effect on African development and its role in bringing about social, political and economic underdevelopment in Africa.

In addition, it is the ultimate quest of this research to create a new source hopefully a record for future use for other researches, also identify and suggest as practically observed, a prospective educational insight into the subject-topic. In the light of this, it would contribute to the literacy development and understanding the African diaspora, and update information on the setting and activities of Africans during the slave trade period from the light of the past in order to construct the present into the ensuring future.

Concomitant with the above, this research is significant in the sense that it would fill the lacuna that has been created with the absence of academic record on the nature and effects of diaspora on African development. Thus, this research will be advantageous to government, Africans, international bodies and researchers who are in need of the knowledge in this study to come to the knowledge of what led to the scattering of Africans all over the world and the various reasons for it as well as the havoc the experience (diaspora) has wrecked on the continent.. Yet it will provide relevant information about African diaspora, its origin, growth and development, as well as its overall significance and effects on the continent. In the light of the above, this essay would serve as a reference point for further knowledge with the hope that it will assist other researches, probing into the nature and effect of diaspora in African development.

Thus this piece would also prove relevant to students of History and International Relations, and other related fields.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In pursing this investigation and study, lots of impediments and obstruction were encountered as the research progressed. All these impediments brought about a conspicuous clause with the research work. They include limited availability of relevant materials, time constraint and financial conditions.

A. Limited Materials: This study is based on information gathered from articles from newspapers and TV channels, journals of past researchers, government corporate reports on the African Diaspora, internet sources, archives, etc., but the study would have been more effective if the research was carried out in any of these countries. As a result of these limitations this essay relied on books, journals and article written by scholars.

B. Time Constraint: Time was also limited to the researcher in carrying out the study effectively and efficiently. Time constraint was experienced under dual stages. One was with the sample under population study. They either schedule appointment that they cannot meet up with or complain of limited time within their work though they are willing to respond.

In addition, the other was with the researcher. The research is being carried out within limited semester time table, which include the understudy of other aspect of the course being read. This created a situation of not rescheduling meetings for more comprehensive interviews as may have been required.

C. Financial Condition: Financial condition prevailing within the economic system was a serious impediment. This includes transportation fare to and from school to the case organizations. Also that of extracting the essential information either through printing or photocopying of relevant materials. Finance, thus contributed immensely to limit the entire scope of the research.

Although all these obstructions were envisaged and experienced, efforts were made to carry on with the research to achieve the expected and desired result.

1.8 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology deals with the different ways or methods the researcher applied in order to carry out the research as well as the instrument used for gathering the data. Various types of research methodology are:

 Experimental Research

 Historical Research

 Descriptive Research

 Survey Research

 Case Research

 Correlational Research

 Ex- post- facto Research

Experimental Research

This is the type of research that directly attempts influence a particular variable and for establishing cause and effect relationships. It is the type of research where the researcher looks at the effects of at least one independent variable on one or more dependent variables.

Ex-Post Research

Ex- post-research is otherwise called casual-comparative research. It is a type of research that is used for investigating possible cause and effect relationships through the observation of an existing conditions or events that had already happened and searching backwards in time to trace the plausible causal factors.

Historical Research

Historical research is the type of research that focuses primarily on past events and occurrences. It is the type where certain aspects of the past are studied by:

 Perusing relevant documents of the past

 Examining relics

 Interviewing individuals who lived during the time under study

After collecting relevant information following the three steps above, attempt is then made to reconstruct what happened during the time under investigation.

Case Studies

A case study is the type of research where an entity such as one individual, one classroom, one school, one local government, one state etc, is studied. The entity under investigation is referred to as a case. Case study is a means of gaining valuable and at times detailed insight about the case being studied.

Survey Research

This is the type of researcher where the researcher is interested in the opinions of a large group of people about a particular topic or issue and goes out to ask his subjects questions relating to the issue of interest.

Correlational Research

This is the type of research where the researcher is out to investigate the possibility of relationships between two or more variables without influencing or manipulating any of the variables.

The type of research methodology used in this research to gather data and relevant information is the historical research and the study will adopt descriptive method of data collection. This will involve the collection of materials from secondary sources, such as books, journal articles, magazines, published and unpublished articles.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

 Development: the process of changing and becoming larger, stronger, or more impressive, successful, or advanced, or of causing somebody or something to change in this way.

 Economy: An economy is an area of the production, distribution, or trade, and consumption of goods and services by different agents in a given geographical location in various countries. It is also defined as a social domain that emphasizes the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the production, use, and management of resources.

 Diaspora: A diaspora is a scattered population whose origin lies within a smaller geographic locale. It also refers to the movement of the population from its original homeland.

 African Diaspora: The African Diaspora refers to the communities throughout the world that are descended from the historic movement of people from Africa predominantly.

TABLE OF CONTENT

PAGE

TITLE PAGE i

CERTIFICATION ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

ABSTRACT v

RESUME vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii - viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background to the study 1 - 4

1.2 Statement of the problem 5

1.3 Objectives of the study 6

1.4 Research questions 6

1.5 Scope of the study 6 - 7

1.6 Significance of the study 7 - 8

1.7 Limitations of the study 8 - 9

1.8 Research methodology 9 - 11

1.9 Definition of Terms 12

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 10

2.1 Concept of Diaspora 13

2.2 Origin of Diaspora 14 - 19

2.3 Forms of Slavery 19 - 23

2.4 List of Diasporas 23 - 38

CHAPTER THREE: AFRICAN DIASPORA AND SLAVE TRADE 39

3.1 Introduction 39 - 40

3.2 Reasons for African Diaspora 40 - 41

3.3 Concept of Slave Trade 42 - 44

3.3.1 Slavery in Africa 44 - 51

3.5.2 Reasons for Slave Trade in Africa 51 - 52

CHAPTER FOUR: EFFECTS OF DIASPORA ON AFRICAN

DEVELOPMENT 53

4.1 Introduction 53

4.2 Negative Effects 53 - 64

4.3 Positive Effects 64 - 65

4.4.1 Diaspora and Poverty Reduction in the World 66 - 67

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION 68

5.1 Summary 68 - 70

5.2 Recommendation 70 - 71

Bibliography 72 – 74