On 21 November, RAS Director Nick Westcott delivered a lecture on ‘The state of the African State: Where has it come from & where is it going?’ at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford University, where he is a Visiting Fellow.  He argued that it is important to examine the pre-colonial and colonial roots of African states to understand their current trajectory.  He explained the strengths and weaknesses of existing theories and analyses of African states and proposed a new approach that focusses on the extent of accountability, balance and trust in each state, and the existence (or absence) of an agreed means of deciding political succession.  More a prospectus for future research than a finished product, it provoked a lively discussion that explored many aspects of the issue.

Moderator: Ricardo Soares, Editor of African Affairs and RAS Council members as well as Professor of the International Politics of Africa at Oxford University

More information can be found ‘The state of the African state: Where has it… | Oxford Martin School  You can watch the full lecture on the link below: