▁oil ▁rose ▁rapidly ▁from ▁the ▁embargo , ▁African ▁exports ▁became ▁too ▁expensive ▁for ▁many ▁foreign ▁mark ets . ▁ ▁P over ty ▁ ▁A ▁major ▁question ▁in ▁the ▁economic ▁history ▁of ▁Africa ▁is ▁foc using ▁on ▁explan ations ▁for ▁the ▁relative ▁pover ty ▁of ▁the ▁continent . ▁Econom ists ▁today ▁use ▁different ▁ways ▁to ▁explain ▁this ▁phenomen on ▁usually ▁either ▁an ▁external ▁or ▁internal ▁approach . ▁ ▁External ▁approach ▁External ▁approaches ▁usually ▁focus ▁on ▁institution al ▁patterns ▁within ▁econom ies . ▁They ▁try ▁to ▁explain ▁Africa ' s ▁economic ▁development ▁as ▁subject ▁to ▁European ▁institution al ▁dec isions ▁of ▁the ▁past . ▁European ▁colonial ▁govern ments ▁had ▁no ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁create ▁institutions ▁fost ering ▁economic ▁development ▁in ▁African ▁colon ies , ▁but ▁rather ▁economic ▁extra ction ▁of ▁given ▁resources . ▁Even ▁today , ▁African ▁institutions ▁still ▁depend ▁on ▁these ▁early ▁dec isions . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁Africa , ▁property ▁rights ▁are ▁not ▁established ▁or ▁enfor ced ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁prom oting ▁economic ▁activity . ▁ ▁In ternal ▁approach ▁Here ▁two ▁distinct ▁ways ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁differenti ated : ▁The ▁first ▁one , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁external ▁approach , ▁focus es ▁on ▁property ▁right ▁distributions ▁in ▁Africa . ▁These ▁usually ▁emer ge ▁from ▁the ▁setup ▁of ▁the ▁society , ▁being ▁more ▁collect ive ▁than ▁individual ist ▁with ▁ ▁tribes ▁or ▁families ▁playing ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁Africa . ▁There by ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁property ▁rights ▁is ▁an ▁obst acle ▁to ▁economic ▁development . ▁Also , ▁there ▁are ▁few ▁in cent ives