Success, Challenges and Prospects of Decentralization in Africa: A Systematic Review

Decentralization remains a global development approach. African countries have been using decentralization to realize their development vision. Using a systematic review, this study assesses the success, challenges, and prospects of decentralization in Africa. The results reveal a meagre success of decentralization in African countries. Success relates to setting political structures at the local level. Decentralization faces many challenges related to policy, legislation, and the political will of the central government. Therefore, decentralization in Africa is seen more as a political approach than a development approach. Based on the reviewed literature, this study suggests decentralization policy and legislation changes, granting local authorities’ autonomy to administer development based on their own priorities and capacitating local authorities to be accountable, responsive, and implement inclusive development. This would ensure the internalization of decentralization as a developmental approach in Africa.