This paper assesses the present state of psychology in sub-Saharan Africa. In spite of enormous diversities, countries of this sub-region display considerable commonalities in the evolution of psychology into a professional discipline. It is a fledgling science at best, increasingly in the hands of Africans. Lack of recognition of psychology, insufficient finances, a small number of psychologists, embryonic infrastructure, lack of sensitivity to eco-cultural realities, over-orientation towards western models, and poor incentives for scholarship are some of the major barriers to effective training, practice, and research in psychology. Despite these copstraints, considerable progress has been recorded. Prospects for enriching the international status of psychological science abound if Africa's cultural and social conditions, not available elsewhere, are properly studied.
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