Calestous Juma writes:
...it should not come as a surprise that nations around the world seek to strengthen their sovereign identities as they work to be part of larger transnational alliances. This systems logic involves the strengthening of nations as nodes, connections and interactions. It also allows for greater flexibility in the evolution of the overall global system.
This is what I call a “systems” approach to globalization. It incorporates the traditional emphasis on trade liberalization but focuses more on strengthening a country’s ability to operate on the global stage. It’s highly relevant for Africa – and could provide a clue of the direction globalization will take in the future.
Thinking beyond the nation-state
The first attribute is having the capability nodes and corridors needed to operate in a global system. This usually entails having the capacity at the nation-state level to take part in international transactions. Many African countries lack this, at least at the national level. However, their ability to transact globally may be located at the subsidiary level, such as in states, cities, industrial clusters, economic corridors and even universities.
Any of these capability nodes can play an important role on the global stage. Take cities and states as an example. Capital cities and leading financial centres account for a large part of the GDP of African countries. For example, if Lagos were a country, it would be the seventh largest economy in Africa, after Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Angola and Morocco. In effect, it would be the fourth largest sub-Saharan economy.