By the end of the 1960s most African countries had gained their political independence. The new corps of leadership envisioned not only a politically stable continent, but also imagined a more cohesive Africa, with bubbly economies driven by the continent's enormous natural and human resources. Approximately 50 years after independence, this hope of a stable, integrated and economically thriving Africa has remained elusive. This set of essays addresses a wide range of issues in the political and social development of post-colonial Africa.