The Transformation of Postcolonial Sovereignty: Decolonization, Neoliberalism, and State Identity in Africa (1960–2020)

Project Abstract

This study analyzes the transformation of postcolonial sovereignty in Africa from 1960 to 2020, examining how decolonization, neoliberal economic reforms, and shifting state identities redefined political legitimacy, governance, and regional power dynamics. It traces the longue durée of sovereignty claims from the immediate post-independence era through the Cold War, the structural adjustment decade, and the contemporary governance landscape shaped by globalization, security concerns, and regional integration. The research investigates how newly independent states negotiated sovereignty with external actors, leveraging liberation historiography, constitutive legitimacy, and international institutions to frame national self-determination while accommodating external economic and security dependencies. It then analyzes the neoliberal turn and its impact on sovereignty by assessing macroeconomic reforms, privatization, deregulation, and market-led development strategies, and how these policies intersected with state sovereignty, social contract, and citizen-state relations. A key focus is the diversification of sovereignty narratives beyond formal legal independence to include governance capacity, policy autonomy, and economic resilience, particularly in sectors such as natural resources, trade, and finance, where external actors and multinational corporations exert influence. The study employs a multi-scalar approach, combining comparative case studies from Western, Central, East, and Southern Africa with regional analyses of the African Union, regional economic communities, and security architectures to illuminate variations in sovereignty trajectories. It interrogates how postcolonial state identities were constructed through memory politics, constitutional design, and diplomatic posture, and how these identities influenced responses to global pressures such as debt, aid conditionality, and geopolitical competition. Methodologically, the research triangulates archival sources, constitutional texts, policy documents, international financial records, and elite interviews with policymakers, diplomats, and scholars to reveal the contested meanings of sovereignty in practice. The findings reveal a paradox sovereignty persisted as a rhetorical currency that enabled states to pursue autonomy in domestic policy while simultaneously embedding them in global economic circuits. The interplay of regionalism, security regimes, and neoliberal reforms often produced hybrid sovereignties, where formal independence coexisted with constrained policy autonomy due to debt dependence, donor coordination, and strategic partnerships. The study also identifies patterns of resilience, such as the use of regional-mediated policy experimentation, strategic commodity governance, and diversified foreign alliances to bolster sovereignty claims. Policy implications highlight the need for nuanced sovereignty frameworks that account for economic interdependence and regional solidarity, while cautioning against the romanticization of autonomy in the face of structural constraints. By foregrounding the narratives of political actors and everyday governance, the research contributes to broader debates on sovereignty, development, and statehood in postcolonial contexts, offering a revised understanding of how Africa navigated decolonization, neoliberalism, and identity construction across six tumultuous decades.

Project Overview

What This Project Is About

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A plain-language overview of the topic and what the project investigates.

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The Problem It Addresses

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What problem or gap this project tackles and why it matters to the field or society.

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Objectives of the Project

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1. Understand how decolonization reshaped political sovereignty in Africa from 1960 to 1980.
2. Explore how neoliberal economic policies influenced state power and policy choices.
3. Examine changes in national identity and governance after independence.
4. Identify patterns of continuity and change across different African countries.

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What You Will Do Step by Step

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1. Review introductory literature to frame key concepts like sovereignty, decolonization, and neoliberalism.
2. Select case study countries and compile historical timelines.
3. Gather sources from archives, government records, and scholarly works.
4. Analyze policy shifts, economic reforms, and political rhetoric over time.
5. Compare findings across cases to highlight common trends and unique outcomes.
6. Draft chapters with clear arguments supported by evidence.

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Expected Outcome

Deliverable is a well-structured final-year project that explains how postcolonial sovereignty evolved in Africa, linking decolonization, neoliberal change, and state identity, with cross-case insights and practical implications for understanding modern African governance.