ABSTRACT
It is reasonable to expect that the absence of economic development poses a serious threat to the stability and survival of a pluralistic nation-state. Even where economic development has been successful, inability or failure to distribute its generated wealth equitably among regions or communities may produce competition that threatens peaceful coexistence and systemic stability. For this reason, in Africa where diversity is the norm, there has been ongoing scholarly interest in the geopolitical ramifications of economic development. Part of this debate has focused on examining the association between economic progress and national integration. The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to this ongoing debate.
