NEW SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA

Abstract

The book begins with a welcome address by the then Nigerian minister of foreign affairs Joy U. Ogwu who set the tone for the other chapters by differentiating the old scramble from the new scramble. In the new scramble, Africa has a chance to take charge of its own affairs.  In chapter one, L. Adele Jinadu dwelt on the conceptual and theoretical issues in the scramble for Africa. The term scramble is a figurative or euphemistic expression denoting the expansionist imperialistic policy of the principal European powers of the 19th century ratified by the Berlin Conference of 1884/85. It was impelled by the drive to maintain balance of power in Europe. To understand the nature of the scramble, materialistic, historical, dialectical, social and psychological approaches must be adopted. He argued that the new scramble sets in motion a new process of globalization propelled by the transnationalization of capital in search f new markets and the logic of capital accumulation. Thus, the term new scramble is used to capture the exploring hegemonizing character of contemporary globalization. Available data on capital transfers and decline in the standard of living in the periphery further process the effect of the new scramble. The new scramble and new imperialism pose serious possibilities for recolonization of Africa. Thus, the way out will not be to return to the idea of pan Africanism that would facilitate a coordinated continental response to the new scramble.