Nigeria, Feb. 4 -- From an online post, a commentator asked an intriguing question: "If the African Union (AU) cannot create a single currency, a unified military, or a common passport, then what exactly is this union about?"

The comment section went wild, with some commentators saying that AU no longer serves the interest of the African people, but rather the interests of the West and individual nations with greedy interests in Africa's resources. Some even said jokingly that it should be renamed "Western Union".

But seriously, how has a country like France managed to maintain an economic leverage over 14 African states through its CFA Franc system, yet the continent is unable to create its own single currency regime? Why does the con...