ated ▁pover ty ▁further . ▁ ▁The ▁wealth y ▁el ite ▁in ▁Africa ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁was ▁character ized ▁by ▁civil ▁servants ▁function ing ▁as ▁" gate keep ers ", ▁holding ▁positions ▁with ▁authority ▁to ▁appro ve ▁foreign ▁aid , ▁human itar ian ▁assistance , ▁and ▁private ▁invest ment ▁( typ ically ▁foreign ). ▁B ri ber y ▁and ▁cor ruption ▁became ▁ent rench ed ▁in ▁some ▁countries . ▁Environment al ▁and ▁political ▁cat ast rop he ▁combined ▁in ▁several ▁fam ines ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁in ▁Eth iop ia , ▁M ali , ▁Maur it ania ▁and ▁Moz amb ique . ▁The ▁impact ▁of ▁dr ought ▁and ▁desert ification ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁continent ▁came ▁to ▁w ides p read ▁public ▁attention ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 1 st ▁century . ▁ ▁Railway ▁projects ▁were ▁important ▁in ▁min ing ▁districts ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁Lar ge ▁railway ▁and ▁road ▁projects ▁character ize ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Rail ro ads ▁were ▁emphas ized ▁in ▁the ▁colonial ▁era , ▁and ▁roads ▁in ▁‘ post - colon ial ’ ▁times . ▁ ▁Jed w ab ▁& ▁Store yg ard ▁find ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 – 2 0 1 5 ▁there ▁were ▁strong ▁correl ations ▁between ▁transport ation ▁invest ments ▁and ▁economic ▁development . ▁In flu ential ▁political ▁include ▁pre - colon ial ▁central ization