Lack of think tanks makes African states weak, open to manipulation

African states have the misfortune of depending on others to do think tanking. [iStockphoto]

A strong state has several instruments of power that help it to project and defend its place in the community of competing nations.

Ordinarily, those instruments include a viable military to ward off external aggression and credible police to maintain domestic peace and suppress uprisings. They also include a respectable well-educated population, technological advancement, vibrant economy, and a form of governance that is acceptable to people.