State and civil society relations perspectives for good governance: propositions for the Africa agenda 2063 aspirations

Abstract

There is a growing role of civil society in inspiring citizen action across Africa and the world. This has seen a momentum considering the growing connectedness, enhanced by information and communication technology innovations. Though there is a worrying sluggish progress by established institutional powers within nations, for engagement with civil society, there is recognition of good governance avenues, cited in the role of civil society on supplementing and regulating the state and the market. This importance is also noted by multilateral and global institutions such as the African Union, African Development Bank, United Nations and the World Bank. This article explores state-civil society relations literature, in order to inspire scholarly perspectives for good governance towards achieving the African Union Agenda 2063. The article is narrative in its nature. Hence governance is applied as a theoretical stance. The article argues that there is a positive acceptance of civil society as a strategic partner in achieving national and regional aspirations, as with it is with the Agenda 2063. The article concludes by adding that new multi-levels engagements and dialogues are needed to contextualise and steer new socio-political ideologies for a radical wake of a new social labs to facilitate the agenda of a unified civic driven Africa.