Culture

I can think of a number of reasons:

1.Among them the fact that we are roughly 50 yrs of age generally( At least as far as today's civilization is concerned.)
2.Our failure to tap fully our potential, and expecting too much to be done for us.
3. Western influence, in some case very severely like where they r forever fighting.
4. Betrayal by our leaders by signing deals after getting their cut and giving away resources for a song.

To me,just a difference in culture.

Collectively I don't think we have an African culture but we share similar values. On a national level you can easily see the differences between Western cultures and ours.

There is no inferior or superior culture. There is only what works. So far no culture can say is completely perfect though some aspects of the different cultures encourage success in different areas of life.

@Chessmaster, That "mwakenya" or "mwafrica" way of doing things makes us lag behind and always have systems that don't work.
A project would be running well with non-blacks in charge. Wait for it to land in the hands of mtu mweusi,suddenly, nothing seems to work.
Then the blame game begins. Read some of other comments above, people blaming mzungu for our woes,for our poor leadership etc.
Those leaders are representative of us. They don't think.
We don't think big.
From governance to driving to our politics,no one seems to be thinking.

Ujinga na uzembe wa akili,that's why Africa is where it is.
The mzungu can only use fools those who are blaming mzungu should realize that.