Multinational Corporations and the New Scramble for Africa: Neocolonial Patterns in the Quest for Global Market Expansion
Keywords:
Multinational Corporations, Neocolonialism, Africa, Resource Extraction, Economic Sovereignty, Corporate AccountabilityAbstract
This research examines how multinational corporations (MNCs) have contributed to the reproduction of neocolonial formations in Africa, with a focus on how these patterns of colonialism have been reproduced using the process of economic domination, resource abduction and political pressure. These are the main aims to critically evaluate the implications of MNCs on African sovereignty and development pathways and to explore the currents of local resistance and policy contingencies. The study uses a qualitative methodological framework, and it builds on case studies in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia, where it examines documents and secondary data. Theoretical scaffolding is based on postcolonial and dependency paradigms, which highlight structural injustice of colonial antecedents and perpetuated by modern global capitalist systems. The importance of the study is in the fact that it contributes to a deeper analysis of the socio-economic and political influence of MNCs in the context of the globalization process, both predicting the counter-strategies and reforms. Significant evidence reveals the misuse of weak regulatory frameworks by MNCs which leads to environmental degradation, labour violations and displacement of the community hence compromising the sustainability of development. The protests of indigenous people, legal obstacles, and pan-African programs including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are all examples of the growing movements to reclaim economic sovereignty. However, gaps exist in the research on assessment of the long-term consequences on institutional capacity and community resilience. The research study finds that without strong mechanisms of governance and clear policies that are established and implemented, MNC dominance will continue to reinforce inequality and dependency. Some of the proposals include strengthening regulatory frameworks, supporting transparency, economic models that are community-based, and Pan-African economic integration as a means of achieving equitable development.
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Published on: 30-11-2025
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