This is a rather crude perspective
Africa is not a country, it's a continent. Africa had everything. Now, they are backward in everything that concerns existence and development. Didn't we start off the way others did? Christians believe man was made in a particular period, evolution has it that life started in Africa. But, why have we failed to evolve and improve the way others did? Humans are history lovers, and believe that one learns from it. European penned down their history, with the help got from transferring the improved art of writing developed by the Egyptians. The world grew through the trade across the Mediterranean sea between Europe and the awakened part of Africa. As this happened, civilization and it's elements such as government systems, education, medicine, transportation, warfare and the weapons of war were transferred among nations. The Greek had a formidable form of democracy which most Europe and some other civilization learnt. China developed on its own. Others, the native Americans, Latinos, Aztecs etc. dominated the western world.
Africa (different nations, kingdoms and tribes in Africa) on its own forged weapons, had their own history, education, and systems of government. They developed like everyone else, just slower. The Europeans conquered an unready Africa. They came as traders, preachers, warriors and looters. We summarily call them colonialists. They robbed Africa bare, under their watch. Africans sold their own kind into slavery. The chiefs and village heads raided homes with the guns given to them by the colonialists as gifts or trade benefits. People got missing, as a result of the frequent kidnap that occurred. All those kidnapped or forcefully taken were sent to the white man who paid for them with bullets, gun powders and other materials. That's the one glimpse the white man had of the nature and price of life of a black person. The slaves were treated badly by the American Caucasians, at least until de-segregation. The whites robbed natural, and man made treasures of Africa. Any opposition was met with stiff sanctions, mass shootings, and sometimes resulting to war, where the visitors always won due to their sophisticated weapons better than what Africans had. Some African nations were never known for war. Others that were warriors had primitive weapons. The visitors also brought religion to further distract the people, then a form of government unknown to several kingdoms and nations.
The Igbos practiced direct democracy, the Fulanis practiced a kind of totalitarian government. The visitors introduced formal education, and a formal system of government. Before then some Africans that could afford to study abroad left the continent, hoping to come back and liberate their people from the shackles of colonialism. Remember, the same democracy that the Greeks practice was adopted my most nations of the world. It was imposed on Africans.
The nationalists that studied abroad came back, some of them put their country into chaos, others led their country to independence. Most countries in Africa gained independence before 1990. By 2016 all the countries were free from colonialism. But were they really free, or transitioning into another tough era?
Africa could have been better, could have been more. It's no outsider's fault that things are the way they are now. In many countries like Nigeria, where the founding fathers struggled to liberate the people, there has been nothing to be proud of.Nigeria has a power of a horse due to her population and the foolishness of a donkey due to her overall welfare and administration. Nigeria like other countries in Africa was bestowed with the most legible system of government, democracy. She was given education, and the opportunity to be educated. The blueprint of modernization of other countries was brought to them. Industrialization, globalisation and computerisation was also brought to them. Before the contact with the white man, transportation was very primitive, at the time the white man rode on bicycles and in carriages, it was often done by foot, the normads used horses. All these knowledge and benefits were gotten amid years of suffering, blood shed and travels. Democracy came from Greece, the Romans improved on it, industrialization got it's roots in England.
Can you believe that Africans are still making a mess of democracy? Its difficult to believe that after these years and all the lessons learned from own experiences and that of others, it is yet difficult to practice democracy in Africa! The world is looking to solve other problems, conquer the earth and improve science and Africa is still at a stage far gone past by others. Education is the light of a country. Sadly, education is yet in its primitive state in Africa. Little wonder why most Africans clamour to study abroad, hence the massive brain drain we see in Africa. In terms of production, when compared to other countries, Africans are merely consumers. For instance, Nigeria imports matchbox, office papers, fabrics, glass wares etc. Nigeria is the biggest oil exporter in Africa, yet she can't refine gasoline, she depends on foreign countries like The UK to refine her oil which she imports and distributes to the citizens at high costs.
Now, get me correctly, I love Africa, I am an African, Africa is blessed with great weather, and some great people too. But her problems lie with people too. People who lead them make them look helpless in the face of the whole world. Unfortunately, leaders come from the hoi polloi, and they almost always tend to be bad for their people, and the chain continues. Democracy is amateur, elections are hardly ever free and fair, education is in its fledgling stage, computer use is yet to get sophisticated, even football, the biggest sports in the continent is a big problem. South Africa is the only country in the continent to ever host the World Cup and it made history to be the only host country to be eliminated in the first stage. No African country has ever reached the WC finals. Not that Africa cannot do better, but the administration, emphasis, scouting and organization of football business is poor. Till now, no African country holds any relevant position that can influence opinion of other countries around the world. Some people argue that America got her independence in Africa far back as the 18th century so she like many other countries has gone through the experimental stage most African countries are still in. But I maintain still, that we started of at the same time, how did we get left behind? Africa might just be ripe for yet another colonization!
*when I use Africa, I mean the sub Saharan Africa, eastern, central and southern Africa
