Africa’s post-independence narrative is often framed as a struggle to reclaim sovereignty and direct the continent’s wealth toward national development.

Yet, decades after political independence, many African countries continue to experience systems of domination, not from foreign powers in the traditional sense, but from domestic elites who control political, economic, and social resources.

This phenomenon, commonly referred to as “elite capture,” exhibits characteristics strikingly similar to colonial structures, leading some analysts to conceptualize it as a modern form of internal colonialism.

1. Understanding Elite Capture in Africa

Elite capture occurs when a small, privileged segment of society — often intertwined with political authority — monopolizes decision-making, economic resources, and access to opportunities:

• Political monopolization: Leadership positions, legislative influence, and bureaucratic control are concentrated in the hands of a few, often passed along through networks of patronage or dynastic succession.

• Economic dominance: Resource rents from oil, minerals, and land are diverted to elites, leaving limited investment in public services or broad-based development.

• Social influence: Media control, educational access, and cultural institutions are often shaped by elites to reinforce their authority and legitimacy.

This form of control undermines broad democratic participation and limits the capacity of ordinary citizens to influence governance, echoing certain features of colonial domination.

2. Parallels with Colonial Structures

Colonialism in Africa was characterized by hierarchical systems designed to extract wealth for the benefit of a ruling minority, while restricting local populations’ agency. Elite capture mirrors these patterns in several ways:

a. Monopolization of Resources

• Colonial precedent: During colonial rule, European powers controlled land, minerals, and trade, systematically extracting value while marginalizing indigenous populations.

• Modern elite capture: Post-independence elites control state-owned enterprises, natural resource concessions, and large-scale land holdings, often diverting profits for personal enrichment rather than national development.

• Impact: Ordinary citizens see limited access to economic opportunities, echoing the exclusion experienced under colonial administration.

b. Limited Political Agency

• Colonial precedent: Colonized populations were largely denied meaningful participation in governance, with decisions imposed from above.

• Modern elite capture: Citizens may technically vote or engage politically, but entrenched elites manipulate electoral systems, control media narratives, and marginalize dissenting voices, effectively curtailing genuine influence.

• Impact: Democratic processes are hollowed out, leaving people politically subordinate to elite authority.

c. Structural Inequality

• Colonial precedent: Social hierarchies were reinforced to maintain control, with economic and educational advantages concentrated in the hands of a few.

• Modern elite capture: Wealth and opportunity remain concentrated, perpetuating inequality across generations. Meritocracy is undermined by patronage and nepotism, reinforcing systemic exclusion.

• Impact: Like colonial societies, social mobility is constrained for the majority, sustaining cycles of dependency and marginalization.

3. Mechanisms of Internal Colonialism by Elites

Elite capture functions as internal colonialism through specific mechanisms that replicate domination internally:

a. Resource Exploitation and Misallocation

• Elites often negotiate favorable deals with foreign corporations and governments, diverting resources from domestic development to private enrichment.

• Public infrastructure, education, and healthcare are underfunded, even as resource wealth flows outward or into elite hands.

• Citizens, like colonial subjects, become producers of value from which they see minimal benefit.

b. Manipulation of Governance Systems

• Electoral manipulation, party patronage, and judicial influence ensure elite continuity.

• Policies prioritize elite interests over public welfare, creating dependency for ordinary citizens, who must navigate complex bureaucracies or seek elite favor for survival.

c. Cultural and Ideological Control

• Media, education, and public discourse are often shaped to legitimize elite authority.

• Narratives emphasizing loyalty, tradition, or external threats justify the consolidation of power, echoing colonial-era mechanisms of social control.

4. Consequences for Society

Internal colonialism by elites has profound effects on African societies:

• Stunted economic development: Resource wealth benefits a small minority while the majority remains in poverty, perpetuating structural underdevelopment.

• Political disillusionment: Citizens lose faith in governance systems, reducing participation and fostering apathy or radicalization.

• Social inequality: Elite monopolization reinforces hierarchies, limiting social mobility and widening gaps between rich and poor.

• Youth marginalization: Young people, who constitute a significant demographic, often see limited pathways for education, employment, or leadership, reducing their capacity to contribute to national progress.

These consequences mirror those experienced under colonial systems, albeit with domestic actors as the agents of control.

5. External Reinforcement of Elite Capture

Internal colonialism is further reinforced by global actors:

• Foreign corporations and governments: They negotiate resource access with elites, often bypassing domestic oversight, which strengthens elite power and reduces incentives for accountability.

• Global financial networks: Offshore banking and international investment facilitate wealth extraction by elites, consolidating control over economic resources.

• International aid and debt dependence: Conditional aid or debt arrangements can empower elites to maintain authority while keeping populations dependent, replicating colonial-style economic subordination.

Thus, elite capture operates within both domestic and global systems, linking internal subjugation to external exploitation.

6. Toward Ending Internal Colonialism

Recognizing elite capture as a form of internal colonialism highlights the need for structural reforms:

• Strengthening governance and institutions: Transparent budgeting, independent auditing, and anti-corruption mechanisms can reduce elite monopolization of power and resources.

• Promoting political accountability: Free, fair, and competitive elections, judicial independence, and civic participation empower citizens to challenge entrenched elites.

• Equitable resource management: Ensuring resource wealth benefits public services, infrastructure, and community development strengthens national sovereignty and reduces elite exploitation.

• Youth and civil society empowerment: Education, advocacy, and organized social movements can challenge entrenched power structures, fostering participatory democracy.

• Regional and continental cooperation: Pan-African frameworks can help standardize governance norms, monitor elite behavior, and reduce susceptibility to external manipulation.

These measures aim to replace internal colonial structures with inclusive, accountable, and participatory governance systems.

Africa’s elite capture shares striking similarities with colonial systems: concentration of wealth and power, restriction of political agency, structural inequality, and dependence of the population on ruling elites. While sovereignty was formally regained after independence, the mechanisms of exploitation, social control, and resource diversion continue under domestic actors, often with reinforcement from global interests.

Conceptualizing elite capture as internal colonialism underscores the depth of the challenge: development is not merely a matter of policy but of restructuring power, accountability, and access. Breaking this cycle requires systemic reforms, empowerment of citizens, transparent governance, and equitable resource management. Only then can Africa’s people reclaim control over their wealth, political destiny, and future prosperity, ending the modern internal colonialism perpetuated by their own elites.