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This paper takes a critical look at a proposals which is increasingly gaining currency in sub-Saharan Africa: and that is, the suggestion that in order for Africa to cultivate an environmentally supportive culture, respective African governments - working in cooperation with the multilateral donor agencies, must thoughtfully reconcile imported environmental conservation interventions with the tried and time tested collective intelligence of Africa's village lore. As salutary as this goal is, I here nevertheless argue that its actual implementation will be more than a Herculean feat. Several obstacles will undoubtedly proliferate on the way. Amongst these obstacles, to mention a few, would include: the obviously predatory tendencies of the free market (knows best) ideology; behind-the-scene political power games of Africa's ruling elite; Africans fractured sense of self; Africa's crushing dependency on Industrialized Nations of the North and, last but not least; the technocratic paternalism ('expert-knows-best' mentality) of both African and non-African elite. This list of obstacles is, of course, not exhaustive; it is only indicative. However, in a paper of this length, we cannot obviously fully explore how each of the aforementioned hurdles will hinder Africa's aspirations for indigenizing her environmental conservation goals. Consequently, we here only then direct our focus primarily on the extent to which the predatory tendencies of free market ideology will get in the way of Africa's determination of indigenizing her environmental conservation goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the possibility that profit-sharing agreements between transnational corporations and sub-state groups may contribute to the widening of ethnic cleavages in African states by promoting ineqaualties between groups. Transnational corporations have become important sources of technology, market access and capital, all of which states seek in propelling economic growth in the modern global economy.