I was born in one country, but I found my life in another. Nigeria, however, molded my foundation, America shaped it, the world fine-tuned and polished it. Hence, I am very grateful for the opportunities, which puts me in a unique position to analyze Africa’s issues intensely critically.
Colonialization was a highly planned undemocratic system imposed on the colonized. Unfortunately, Africa provided untold riches to the West to her detriment. Thus, the poverty of Africa is the gloat of some other civilizations.
Regrettably, Africa is still insufficiently cognizance of the effects and the destruction of colonialism, mis-education, and materialism that corrupted and disrupted her psyche. Forlornly, colonialization arrested Africa’s conscience of culture, education, history, language, mental, religion, self and space.
Colonizers did not only colonized people, but they also colonized the interpretation of history itself and rewritten to favor them at the disadvantage of other people. Sadly, Africa lost her wisdom of self by accepting the colonizer’s myths as facts while rejecting Africa’s facts as myths due to colonial indoctrination. A dichotomy of wisdom.
Africa itinerated away from her pearls of wisdom by chasing others and vanished into the semi-darkness of religious salvation, surrendering her tomorrow to no one particular true religion, persistently drifting with a confused state of mind. Africa ignored the social issues that changed the dynamics of Africa’s affairs.
Fortunately, the mind holds the key to every lock; therefore, Africa must abdicate the ghost of colonialism from her mentality, repent, and return to her original Gods for redemption on the world space.
We are the new echoes of conscience and change. Consequently, it is our collective and intellectual responsibility to correct the errors, and accidents of history, along with the sins of omission by laying down the knowledge-based foundation to bridge the gap of knowledge for the succeeding generation to shape.
While the following generation perfects the refined knowledge for possibilities. And, eventually, the subsequent generations enjoy the bridged-knowledge to emancipate Africa from the enclosure of the mind syndrome.
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And, History is always on the side of positive social change; therefore, we must take the leadership role to restore Africa’s dignity to change the course of her destiny for the 21st century and beyond; in view of her current state of self-suppressing, self-defeating, and perpetual denial.
That is why I am a veteran advocate for Africa’s unity and development, both in Africa and in the diaspora, not because I was born in Africa, but because Africa runs in my veins, moreover, Africa is the heart-beat of the world.
Therefore, Africa should have the will and audacity to critically focus on “how to do” rather than “whatto do”; to keep Africa at the top of the world stage in every aspect. Africans are no longer respected by non-Africans, both at home and diaspora, and their identities are not internationally valued. Until Africans feel at home anywhere, Africa will continue hearing the wailing of her many children everywhere and anywhere.
It is no longer acceptable for Africa to be the comic of history, the football of anthropology, a vulnerable and abused continent that has taken on the unfortunate image due to her Godliness, welcoming, generosity, and accommodating nature. Now necessitates a variety of voices speaking on her behalf in-terms of corruption, economy, education, governance, health, human rights, justice, and a host of other challenges.
In spite of these negativities, Africa’s first contribution to human progress was the evolution of man himself and shaping an age that was crucial to the shaping of humanity. A continent of extraordinary beauty and endless fascinations, a gift to the world that keeps giving, the motherland of humanity.
Nevertheless, it is time for Africa to stop depending on the East or West for basic things such as food when Africa has a diversity of land, climate, and sixty-five percent of the world’s arable space to feed the world and beyond. It is a new dawn; Africa must repackage herself and strive to take her pride of place among the comity of Nations.
Africa must rise and stand up for Africa, develop its human capital and abundant natural resources, roughly thirty percent of the earth’s remaining mineral resources. All past and current self-advanced Africa’s elected officials, along with their enablers that corrupted the continent’s developments’ should be held accountable and charged with crimes against humanity. Similarly, all those that watched and stood by in silence without intervention are equally guilty. Additionally, Africa should stop celebrating official’s criminalities and malfeasance.
Likewise, Africa must desist from foreign religions’ perceived efficacy of praise the Lord (it issolved-mentality) and fasting to rectify these enormous social challenges rather than embarking on empirical and practical home-grown solutions to correct these horrendous calamities. Until then, Africa will not be peaceful or prosperous and will once again be left behind due to self-inflicted paralysis gripping the continent. And, Africa must raise its expectations to meet the new challenges of the 21st century.
Africa must inner-direct and re-examine herself, a thorough examination, re-defining, re-engineering; in short, Africa necessitates a COMPREHENSIVE TOTAL CHECKUP, a complete physical and mental self-reflection. Despondently, Africa is broken, in a state of emergency that needs urgent care.
This task must continue until Africa wakes up to the new realities and challenges facing all Africans, both in Africa and the diaspora. However, Africa is a gift to the world that keeps giving; she must be cherished honorably by the comity of nations in spite of the devastating effects of colonization and imperialism (neo-colonialism).
Is Africa as earnest as she vaunts for change, and with the requirements for the desired change?
God Bless Africa! and God Bless America!! America, the possibilities!!!
From the desk of BamideleAdeoye, DBA.
Research Consultant & Adjunct Prof.
Email: info@mabici.com
