In terms of the economic well-being, Africa is falling behind from the rest of the world. Although global poverty is at its decline as the economic growth of the countries such as China and India are getting better. However, the decline in African economy is disappointing. According to Sachs, poverty in Africa is rising at a faster rate. The question arises that what is the fundamental cause of underdevelopment in Africa? This has been a research topic in Africa from the past few years. It has been difficult to identify exactly the cause for the underdevelopment of Africa, but the four strands of thoughts stand out. This is mostly specific to South Africa and Nigeria. The economy of Nigeria has been in dire strait for many years; therefore, Nigeria and South Africa was chosen specifically for this research.
Firstly, the medical condition in South Africa and Nigeria i.e. the disease view. According to it, diseases like Malaria and other infectious diseases has left a remarkable effect on the population of Africa. The disease view in South Africa has spread its negativity that has ultimately affected the investments, savings and economic conditions of Africa . According to the research of Carstensen and Gundlach, (2006) the high incidence of malaria in Africa has tremendously reduced the growth rate . Similarly, Lorentez, McMillan and Wacziarg (2008) also argued in his study that the higher rate of mortality increased the risk of disease that further reduced the human capital