The slave trade was a crucial part of the development of international capitalism. The role of African ruling classes in the trade was not very different from the position of contemporary African elites. They both traded the resources of their people for self-gratification, argues Tunde Obadina.

Blaming Africa's woes on colonialism and neo-colonialism strikes a cord with many educated Africans, but the focus on external forces has drawn attention away from internal factors crucial to an understanding of Africa's condition. With or without colonialisation, African societies would still today be faced with fundamental economic dilemmas, argues Tunde Obadina