Superpower Africa

So, Africa seems to be neglected a lot in Alternate History, so I am going all the way with this one.


Now, of course I am not thinking of any country in Africa being a superpower akin to the French, British, or Spanish Empires of yore, the USSR/CCCP if not too long ago, the USA of now, or Chin of the future. What I am talking about is an African nation which is considered a great power in the world somewhat along the lines that France, Germany, or Japan are considered now. That, and a definite regional power, one that few in the continent can rival.


My idea is this:
What if after independence, a number of the former French colonies in West and North Africa form an economic and political union, developing along the lines of the European Union, except that some time in the late 1980s, this union creates a fully-fledged democratic nation which begins an economic revival akin to Deng Xiaoping's reforms in China. Thus, after decades of culmination, a "West African Alliance" takes place as a guaranteed regional power on Africa, a global great power, and has the possibility to compete with the People's Republic of China for superpower status. Now, the question is: can it work?
 
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Valdemar II

Banned
So, Africa seems to be neglected a lot in Alternate History, so I am going all the way with this one.


Now, of course I am not thinking of any country in Africa being a superpower akin to the French, British, or Spanish Empires of yore, the USSR/CCCP if not too long ago, the USA of now, or Chin of the future. What I am talking about is an African nation which is considered a great power in the world somewhat along the lines that France, Germany, or Japan are considered now. That, and a definite regional power, one that few in the continent can rival.


My idea is this:
What if after independence, a number of the former French colonies in West and North Africa form an economic and political union, developing along the lines of the European Union, except that some time in the late 1980s, this union creates a fully-fledged democratic nation which begins an economic revival akin to Deng Xiaoping's reforms in China. Thus, after decades of culmination, a "West African Alliance" takes place as a guaranteed regional power on Africa, a global great power, and has the possibility to compete with the People's Republic of China for superpower status. Now, the question is: can it work?

No at best it would be a New Brazil, of course that would quite a improvement. Some point why it can't compete with China; a lower population, more hostile climate and fewer natural resources.
 
Nope. By independence you are far, far too late for a superpower, or even much of a unified African state, really. And economically speaking, the French colonies are almost the worst place to start, at any rate.

China had a huge population of vaguely homogenous peoples, a decent education and excellent resource base, an enormous amount of historical momentum, and a great deal of useful ports, navigable waterways, roads and railway (well, a great deal compared to Africa).

Africa is lacking in all of the above. To make matters worse, it has a terribly low population density, which makes industrialization difficult and requires more roads and such merely to function than most parts of the world.

Edit: Forgot terrible climate, poor soil, worst disease environment on Earth, and Africa's massive numbers of unrelated cultures, languages, and religions.
 
Well, lets just lower the bar a bit.

A northern and western African federation (possibly having Nigeria in this also, although that would happen WAY later) which wields substantial influence in its region. I never intended it being the power (by 2008) that China is. Brazil seems to be more like it as a reference model, though.
 
No at best it would be a New Brazil, of course that would quite a improvement. Some point why it can't compete with China; a lower population, more hostile climate and fewer natural resources.

Africa has fewer natural resources than China?

Hrmm. West Africa, maybe. But the Congo screams "We should be at worst a Mexico."
 
So, Africa seems to be neglected a lot in Alternate History, so I am going all the way with this one.


Now, of course I am not thinking of any country in Africa being a superpower akin to the French, British, or Spanish Empires of yore, the USSR/CCCP if not too long ago, the USA of now, or Chin of the future. What I am talking about is an African nation which is considered a great power in the world somewhat along the lines that France, Germany, or Japan are considered now. That, and a definite regional power, one that few in the continent can rival.
Well, apart from your desire for it to be in West Africa, you could make an argument that South Africa already foots the bill for your requirements - by far the most influential regional power; a sizeable industrial capacity; resources galore; and there is talk that they should be granted a permanent seat at the UN Security Council (along with India and Brazil), which France has but Germany and Japan do not.

If you wanted to give it some more clout internationally, perhaps before independence there was a greater sense of Southern African Commonwealth amongst the British colonies, which was encouraged to develop as a supra-national political structure as the British government withdrew (somehting like S. Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe - Kenya and Tanzania might be pushing it into -wank terriotry). South Africa would likely dominate politically, but you have a tremendous resource base to support its status as a global mid-power.
 
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