title: The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence
author:  Martin Meredith 
description: Martin Meredith is the author of many acclaimed books on Africa including lives of Robert Mugabe and Nelson Mandela and COMING TO TERMS: SOUTH AFRICA'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH. He lives near Oxford.
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  THE CAPITALIST NIGER 
  Chika Onyeani 
  ………………………Every African must internalise this book - period….DAA 
  INTRODUCTION  
  In October 1960, Nigeria received its independence from Britain. By then, Ghana the former Gold Coast 
  had been independent for three years under the great Osagyefo Kwame Nkumah. It was a time for 
  celebrating Africa’s coming of age, as more and more African countries received their independence 
  either from Britain or France. It was especially a poignant time for Africa, as then British Prime Minister 
  Harold McMillan articulated his now famous “winds of change” sweeping Africa. We had high hopes for 
  Africa, for the Black race, that the insidious imposition of foreign rule on us, the looting of Africa’s 
  natural resources by our colonial masters accorded us would be things of history.  
  That is more than forty years ago. Unfortunately, the promise of independence has not been fulfilled. 
  Today, Africa has become more desolate; there is more starvation, diseases an