Outline: This paper defines globalization and discusses its effects on the modern African considering trade blocks such IMF, World, and WTO.

1. PART ONE

• Definition of globalization

2. PART TWO-positive impacts

• Globalization has eased international trade and commerce
• Globalization has defined generally accepted democratic principles in modern African
• Promoted the sharing of culture  
• Promoted technological advancements
• Enhancing sharing of Information

3. PART THREE-negative impacts

• Enhanced illicit trade.
• Promoted dumping of toxic industrial wastes
• Influence of western culture on African heritage
• Enslavement African economies
• Contributed to modern colonialism

4. REFERENCES

Globalization is an economic concept that has a wide range of definitions. World economists describe globalization as the growing interdependence among the world’s populations, economies, culture, information, and technology. Technically, globalization is the integration of investments, markets, and trade across the globe characterized by few barriers slowing the smooth flow of goods and services across different nations (Ergashev & Farxodjonova, 2020). In addition, the concept of globalization describes the growing consciousness of the world’s society, the strengthening of relations among nations, and the improving social organization on a global scale. However, there cannot be a comprehensive definition of globalization because different meanings are geographically based and differ in what they mean and emphasize society.

Globalization has a significant impact on Africa of the modern world. The effects are both positive and damaging, some of which are necessitated by the world’s trade blocks such international monetary fund (IMF) and the World Bank (Burlacu, Gutu & Matei, 2018). The positive impacts of globalization to Africa of the modern world include; streamlined international trade, the transmission of culture, technological improvements, and improved communications and information sharing. Globalization has eased commerce and trade by facilitating foreign investments into African countries. African countries are funded and loaned by the world's trade blocks like the IMF and the World Bank to improve the region's economy. For example, most mega infrastructure projects in East and Central Africa are under either the United States or China (Güven, 2017). Counties in the same region also receive aid from the World Bank to boost their financial budgets and improve different sectors of their economies. Globalization has also promoted the transmission and sharing of culture across the world. Today, it is almost impossible to miss more than ten different nationalities when walking on the streets of any city in Africa. Most of these people are tourists and professions working in Africa countries who share their culture with African communities and vice versa.

Moreover, globalization has also promoted technology improvement in African countries, especially in health care and transport. Nonetheless, globalization has facilitated the growth in communications and information sharing among African countries and other regions of the world. Modern Africans have acquired governing skills, freedoms, and rights that have promoted accountability, transparency, peaceful coexistence, and openness. To sum up, on the positive impacts, globalization has facilitated lobbying of international knowledge in various fields such as education. Many Africans have acquired scholarships to study abroad as other foreigners also come into renowned African institutions to further their studies.

On the other hand, globalization has also impacted modern African negatively. Globalization has encouraged the growth of western culture among Africans, including the increased trade in illicit drugs, human trafficking, and pornography. Today most Africans emulate the life of the west, especially in fashion and nutrition, which has contributed to the erosion of African heritage. Globalization has also promoted the dumping of dangerous wastes and over-exploitation of natural resources such as minerals. Perhaps, the most significant impact of globalization is the erosion of African sovereignty in economic and financial matters. Today, most African countries struggle with debts owed to the World Bank and other trade blocks like the IMF. The economic distress in most African countries results from the imposition of developmental policies, models, and strategies by the IMF, WTO, and the World Bank (Reinsberg et al., 2019). In this case, governments find themselves signing contracts without considering the long-term outcome and financing loans for several years instead of building their economies.

Furthermore, foreign countries prey on the African economy by insisting on developing foreign entrepreneurship, limiting the capacity of African governments to promote their indigenous entrepreneurial classes.  Similarly, democracy cannot thrive in Modern African because of the imposed self-interests and economic specialization by external forces. As a result, foreign investors have transformed African countries into a series of enslaved economies controlled by external investments (Bataka, 2021). Globalization has also been highly politicized in modern African, with government officials tying their self-interest on the aid from external forces. Economists consider corruption as the enemy of progress in African countries because every politician has their agendas. In this case, corruption facilitates easy exploitation of resources in African countries at the expense of minority groups. For example, youths are used in gold, copper, and other mineral mines to provide cheap labor. Over-exploitation of natural resources undermines the sustainability programs to improve the African economy and reduce the region's overdependence on foreign aid (Salahuddin et al., 2019). To sum up, globalization negatively impacts the consolidation and development of democratic governance among African countries. In this case, foreign forces that offer loans to African countries limit the government’s capacity to control and manage some matters and events in such countries. Technological advancements and scientific expansion into the African continent from other outside countries have facilitated the extinction of local development plans and entrepreneurial efforts by distorting African production patterns. For instance, most processed foods and beverages in East and Central African are imported from the United States and China. Besides, contracts for public projects are more likely to be offered to foreign contractors than local ones. Generally, globalization has killed the morale of local innovators and individuals yearning to build a life for themselves through technological and scientific innovation. Another excellent example of Africa’s overdependence on imports is the case of personal protective equipment, which instead of being manufactured locally, are included in the national budget and imported from China or the United States (Bataka, 2021).