He championed the argument that "Africa is poor because she is not free," that the primary cause of African poverty is less a result of the oppression and mismanagement by colonial powers, but rather a result of modern oppressive native autocrats and socialistcentral planning policies.[10] He also went beyond criticism of the status quo to advocate for specific ways to address the abuses of the past and present; specifically he called for democratic government, debt reexamination, modernized infrastructure, free market economics, and free trade to promote development.
In 1993, he founded The Free Africa Foundation in 1993 to serve as a catalyst for reform in Africa.[11]
In 2008, Ayittey was listed by Foreign Policy as one of the "Top 100 Public Intellectuals" who "are shaping the tenor of our time."[12]
Political views
Ayittey believed there are three keys to successfully rescuing Africa from oppressive despotism:
First, he advocated forming coalitions consisting of small groups of "elders" who have no political ties and monitor the activities of the various opposition groups. Ayittey explains, "They must be able to reach out to all the opposition groups."[13] "The council should bring all of the opposition into an alliance ", which would prevent dictators from overpowering severely divided competition.
Second, people have to gain control of the civil service, security forces, judiciary, electoral commissions, media and central bank from the government. Ayittey saw control of at least one of these resources as central to subverting dictatorial power in African countries. Dictators throughout Africa staff these organizations with their families and cronies.
Third, and finally, a nation has to use the correct sequence of reforms to disassemble the institutions. Intellectual reform should be first for freedom of expression and free media. Next, political reform for democratic pluralism. Then, constitutional reform to limit the powers of the executive. Then institutional reform, for an independent judiciary. Lastly, economic reform. Doing economic reform too early, he says, can be undermined by the civil service and might benefit only the leadership class and create oligarchs.[14] Freeing the media first allows local people to support and advocate for reforms.
^"George Ayittey Society Announces Second Official Meeting". Atlas Network. 31 May 2024. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024. Professor George B. N. Ayittey was born on October 13, 1945, in Ghana. He graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Ghana, earned his MA at the University of Western Ontario, and completed his doctorate in economics at the University of Manitoba. He taught in Canada and the United States and retired as professor of economics from the American University in Washington, D.C.
^Ayittey, George Billy Nii (11 February 1999). Africa in Chaos (1st ed.). New York City: [[St. Martin's Press]. p. xiv. ISBN978-0-312-21787-7. During my tenure at American University, I have been fortunate to receive critical reviews and encouragement from Professors[…].
