Proudly African, but…
Africa, is arguably the richest of all the continents, based on human and natural resources. However this rich continent is the poorest of them all. Here is why, in my opinion.
One of the many reasons why the rest of the world ridicules Africa as underdeveloped as a jungle is because of the poor quality of political leaders that presides over the affairs of almost 1.3 billion Africans scattered around 54 countries.
By the way, for those in the west who refer to Africa like it were a country, I have news for you. Africa is the second largest continent in the world after Asia spanning over 11.6 million square miles (30 million square kilometers). It’s also home to the longest river in the world, the Nile. It stretches 4,100 miles (6,600 kilometers) from Sudan to the Mediterranean Sea. But all these statistics does not make up for the ineptitude of the morons presiding over this rich continent.
Should I consider myself lucky to have been born outside the shores of Africa? I don’t know if the word lucky is appropriate, after all there are many who are extremely successful at what they so. Yea, success is relative, but I will still consider them successful.
As much as I love Africa it hurts me to see the state of the continent. If you are reading this and you happen to be African, and you are honest with yourself, you’ll agree with me that Africa is in a more dire state than it’s cousins. If you are not African, you probably will not understand the frustrations of being African.
Being discriminated at because of the colour of one’s skin is one thing. That is not their fault. That is pure ignorance. It’s another thing for African political leaders deliberately enslave its people economically, academically and mentally. That is something I can’t get my head around.
Africans can not, and should desist from blaming the colonialists for its underdevelopment. It was not right then, all the atrocities pelted out, but should they be blamed still for its underdevelopment which has persisted years after gaining its independence? I am not so sure.
I find amusing listening or reading Africans who live outside Africa blame colonialism for its underdevelopment. I just don’t get it. Who is in charge now? Not the colonialists?
Africa’s six siblings Asia, Europe, North and South America, Australia/Oceania and Antarctica remain bemused as to how a continent so endowed with natural and human resources is bedevilled with self inflicted pain. Why should Africa be in a situation where it is unable to feed its citizens?
Rather than live at home, the poor choose to gamble with their lives by undertaking audacious trips across the oceans to escape harsh conditions. Not that it is massively better where they are heading, but these Africans don’t see it that way.
I am proud of my Nigerian parentage, so, I’ll use Nigeria as a case study.
Now, I took my baby steps at school here in the United Kingdom before my parents yielded to the cries of my grand parents who couldn’t understand what they were doing in a foreign land. A land enraptured by its seasons with the bitterly cold period labelled winter. It was alien to Nigerians. Winter? What’s so called? But the irony of it is thousands flock out to winter. They rather be in a winter wonderland than sunny Nigeria. At the time, my parents left the shores of Nigeria for Britain. Their reasons weren’t economical. After all they went back unashamed.
Thinking about it, my parents couldn’t really provide cogent reasons for staying on in England after attaining their educational qualifications. Moreover, the local currency Naira, was as strong as Pound Sterling (N1 = £1). That was over half a century ago.
You can imagine why my grand-parents thought it sacrilegious to give birth, and rear children in the United Kingdom. What was so special, they rightfully wondered at the time?
In Nigeria, you had countless members of family, near and far willingly to play a role in bringing up children. Discipline was paramount. Education was a must. Seeking employment and being employed was not yet a toil. Life was good back then.
Having said that, my parents still fell for the emotional blackmail of their parents, and headed back home with me on board.
Hindsight, as they say, is notably cleverer than foresight. I am thankful my parents spent a few years in England doing their thing which included giving birth to me. I can only blame this view on hindsight which has given birth to this attitude of gratitude.
Remember I mentioned N1 (one Naira) was equivalent to £1 in the days of my parents. Almost 60 years later, £1 will exchange for a weepy N825. Sad!
Nigeria, once regarded as the GIANT OF AFRICA reputed to have had so much money it didn’t know what to do with it. The giant tag has since withered.
It hurts as I write. It hurts more to wash Nigeria’s dirty linen outside. It hurts further more to know that some Nigerians would read this and hold a contrary view. Why! Because they believe it is not in the interest of Nigerians to talk negative about the country. Well, I hold a contrary view.
It has been said that out of all the countries in the world, Nigeria is the most religious, unfortunately, religion has been politicised and weaponised. Could this be the reason why there is now a mass exodus out of Nigeria?
Kidnapping is not a vocation, it has become an occupation, an alternative for some people to earn a living.
Majority of Nigerians are not living, they are surviving. Those that are living are able to travel whenever they desire. They have good jobs, can afford to send their children abroad on holidays or for studies. These people are in the minority. They probably make up 1 or 2% of the population. And they are living large. Good for them.
They may be living large, but they also live in fear because the 98% that are living a life of survival aren’t blind. They also want to live large, and are prepared to do so by hook or crook.
State universities have been on strike for over 12 months. Help with disability is non existent, hence you see bodies with deformities on the streets begging to survive the day.
Not all Africans are strugglers. It would be an injustice to subscribe to that notion. There are plenty of successes coming from Nigeria and Africa in general, in spite of. I admire these people a great deal. Not every African will travel abroad. Some may never ever afford to, so they don’t aspire to. And for those breaking grounds, they just get on with it. I have a lot of friends that are super successful. They have worked hard to have alternatives and I admire that.
Nigeria is in the election season. You would hope it provides an opportunity for change. Unfortunately not in Nigeria. Instead of the majority take advantage to boot out the corrupt few in power, it is the corrupt few that magnetise the majority with money that is only able to last them for a limited period. This alignment is short lived, but the repercussions last on.
Money is paid out by the wicked minded Nigerian politicians who have stashed ill gotten wealth in dollars under their beds, in dug out wells, in places meant to act as drainage systems. These politicians proudly supported by christian, Islamic and atheists alike place a voodoo on its citizens to suspend all sense of reasoning.
It’s the same category of Nigerians who are survivors that rig elections on behalf of the corrupt politicians. It’s these stack illiterates who are able to string a few words of english sentences that get busy on social media threatening citizens with voices for change.
Those in minority, the 1-2 percentals care less. They don’t get involved. They have dual citizenship. They can travel at the whiff of any major altercation.
Let me shock you! The people who are responsible for inflicting pain on the survivors were once survivors. They were once activists. A majority of these politicians were once survivors. With sheer audacity, they fought and did all sorts to get to the top of the tree. It is these people that have become heartless despots relegating the rest of their now former co-survivors to an even lower class.
I cannot think of any other word to replace wickedness to describe Nigerian politicians. Trust me, it’s the only way I can describe what they have collectively subjected a country of talented, conscientious hard working citizens to.
Right now, Nigeria is on its knees. Never mind what President Biden isn’t physically capable of doing in America, or the buffoonery of former Prime Minister Boris. Nigeria’s President Buhari is clueless.
How would the Brits or Americans have felt if the PM or President had announced they weren’t going to interfere in the general elections? That was what Nigeria’s President Buhari announced to the nation the other day. Welcome to the other Nigeria.
I can’t be bothered to share with you the atrocities of bandits in the country, or the non existence of electricity or drinkable water or severe lack of security. That is for another day.
Say a prayer for Africa, but pray more for Nigeria, because if Nigeria is able to get it right, it would have a domino effect on the continent of Africa.
Show business, the entertainment industry is the vendor for the slim positive publicity emanating from Nigeria.
Afro-beats, incidentally founded by the talented late Fela Anikulapo Kuti the government’s fiercest critic has become Nigeria’s greatest export in terms of PR. Artistes such as BurnaBoy, Wiz-kid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Asa, Femi and Seun Kuti sell out arenas all around the world. Afro-beats has become a much loved music genre sung by young and old white folks.
Nollywood, the equivalent of America’s Hollywood is another sector that is thriving. Netflix dedicated resources in promoting Nigerian actors verified all over social media.
Unfortunately, these caliber of Nigerians aren’t in position of power to affect the state of the nation, instead, the incompetent continue to rule the competent.
I may be proudly African, but I still have to say it what I have said. It hurts though.
That’s my perspective. What is yours?