George Kararach is a Lead Economist for the African Development Bank Group, Abidjan, Cote d'Iviore, Visiting Professor at the Wits School of Governance, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and a Non-Resident Fellow, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines, Illinois, USA and until recently Senior Economist at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Overview Chapter 1. Development as disruptions - a reconstruction of the theory and practice Chapter 2. Social discontent as search for development: from colonialism to independence Chapter 3. Natural resources, climate change and poor beneficiation - the potential for a curse Chapter 4. Trade versus aid: economics, politics, and dilemmas in development cooperation Chapter 5. Food insecurity and agricultural stagnation Chapter 6: Demography and migration - seeking out the dividends Chapter 7. Pandemics and diseases as forces of dislocation - a post-COVID-19 view Chapter 8. Conflict, drugs and criminal upheavals in African development Chapter 9. Innovation, AI and technology as handmaiden of development Chapter 10: Democracy and social inclusion: bridging public action and development policy rhetoric

The book examines the failures and some of the successes of Africa in its efforts to transform into a society where human security or development in the broadest sense is achieved.
It is argued the African continent had, and will continue, to content with disruptions or change on its path to development. Development policy making in this regard, is an art of setting out strategies to build resilience and take advantage of disruptions or change in whatever format: political, economic, health, diplomatic, demographic or even environmental and climatic. The book discusses nine major disruptions in Africa's socio-economic life and the limits imposed by the rhetoric in development policy: exclusion and social inequality, environmental degradation and climate change, natural resources and poor beneficiation, trade and aid, food insecurity, demography and migration, pandemics and disease burden, conflict and criminality and technology and innovation.
The book is intended for intermediate students in African studies, Area Studies, Development Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy and Comparative Politics. In addition will be development practitioners working in developing countries, the UN system, multilateral development banks, donor agencies and regional economic communities in Africa.