The Future Of Africa: I am a Nigerian

in #nigeria5 years ago (edited)

According to Worldometer, Nigeria has an estimated population of just over 200million, we're the most populous black nation but sometimes it seems like that's all we have going for us. We have no name and don't have our own thing.

The Past

English, although the official language of Nigeria, was a formal language with which strangers and non-relatives addressed you. It had the potency of digging craters between you and your friends or relatives if one of you switched to using it.”
― Chigozie Obioma, The Fishermen

Around 1861, the Brits waltz into our land with guns and false prophesies. They used military force to take over our cities and forced us to accept their religion. They convinced our leaders that we're all idiots for believing in the things we believed in and that our ways were obsolete. They didn't have much of a choice. There were guns pointed at their heads, you'd do the same in the circumstance. Thus, we bent to their ways, they "built" schools but secretly carted away our natural resources, they "built" hospitals but no one is held responsible for all the raping and pillaging they did in the land.

Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”
― Chinua Achebe

What is Your Name?

They came in and forced their ways on us. We didn't have any choice back then. The elders and leaders had to cave in to their desires. They thought us English language for their own good. They manipulated the minds of the simple minded individuals they caught napping in the area, changing their names, tweaking cultural practices and norms to suit their own agenda.

“The worst thing that colonialism did was to cloud our view of our past.”
― Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

Oxford dictionary defines colonization as "The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area." In other words, you think you're better than these people and you want to fix up the life of these savages, it is probably the most condescending thing humans can do to each other.

“I hate imperialism. I detest colonialism. And I fear the consequences of their last bitter struggle for life. We are determined, that our nation, and the world as a whole, shall not be the play thing of one small corner of the world”
― Soekarno

The scars of the post colonial era still abounds in our society. These "white men" came into our society and told us we were not good enough, that we don't match up to their lofty standards. They spent years in our land beating this notion into the minds of our people. They created pseudo-intelligentsia by imbuing their essence into the psych of selected individuals within their colony, then placed them in high places. Dangling the proverbial carrot.

“Why did Africa let Europe cart away millions of Africa's souls from the continent to the four corners of the wind? How could Europe lord it over a continent ten times its size? Why does needy Africa continue to let its wealth meet the needs of those outside its borders and then follow behind with hands outstretched for a loan of the very wealth it let go? How did we arrive at this, that the best leader is the one that knows how to beg for a share of what he has already given away at the price of a broken tool? Where is the future of Africa?”
― Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Wizard of the Crow

By the time the scales dropped from our eyes, it was already too late. The colonial master had already won the battle. The guns were gone and we lived in times of peace but the deed had been done. Our minds had been colonized and they had their hands firmly up our backside, turning us into puppets when we were suppose to break free of their control.

“When two brothers are busy fighting, an evil man can easily attack and rob their poor mother. Mankind should always stay united, standing shoulder to shoulder so evil can never cheat and divide them.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

The Future

It would be stupid of me to say that the problems in our society are because of what the colonial masters did. In their defence, they're humans and did what every human would do in the circumstance. It was never my intention to vilify them but I had to call a spade a spade. The truth is, the colonial masters saw an opportunity and took it. It was the only logical thing to do from their point of view and they went with it. I've seen snippets of "How Europe underdeveloped Africa" and I must say it is a load of horseshit doused with cowardice.
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Source

“What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head?
What are you talking about? You do what they say or they shoot you.
WRONG. You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty six other things.” ― Harvey Specter Suits

We forgot one pertinent thing, we forgot we had our own thing before they came. Going back to how we were is impossible but I think there was no time to reflect and up until now, we still haven't just taken a moment to do that. We mixed with strangers, they brought new technology, religions and way of doing things to our land. Did we ever sit back to sieve out the useful from the not so useful? I dont think we did and it is why we're in this mess we find ourselves in.
Everything we are today, we copied from the Brits. There's no gun pointed at us now, we have freedom in theory but the reality is that we're still stuck in the old ways, constantly conforming to fit in to the broader society that will never see us as anything but photocopies. This is what we are after all.
We failed at many things and this is natural for man but our biggest failure is admitting that we've failed to admit that we're wrong to copy what isn't ours. We failed to realise that there's a natural order and we're way over our heads. We're suffering from the fact that we've not learnt anything from the past and given no heed to the future. We've failed because we lost ourselves while trying to be someone else but it is not too late, we still have a chance to fix this.

There's truths and then there's lies. the pain of the past are forgotten but the scars never leave and should serve as a deterrent to retrogression. I've had cuts and bruises, been stitched up countless times and after all these, I got back on the horse. The only enemy that exists now resides in the mirror and the only person that can help you win this battle resides outside of it.-Belemo, 2019

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I read this and gave it attention which is saying a lot, since I suffer in Africa but not dark Africa (yet) I see everything you mention around me and funny enough things you seem to have worked through the idiots here have not even reached. A big thing I come back to always is that everyone feels they are owed. If all parties agree that it is now we and not just me then why the fuck are they not working towards a future instead of trying to gain from the past.

I do hope you have gina enabled for vote notifications ;)

Hey bro, I didn't even know you were in Africa but I presume now that you're in South Africa considering you're not in the "dark" part lol.
A lot of people live with this sense of entitlement, telling themselves that the issues that abound aren't their fault, thus absolving themselves of the guilt they should feel for all the fuck ups.

I really appreciate the love bro, thank you very much. Please where are you from though?

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Yip the Southern Point of living in the past :)

If you ever want good comedy you should just look up our parliament meetings and protests.


I will add though that all in all none of these "African" companies are doing anything to actually raise the countries up. With that the gov is just a corp gauging and consuming their own people.


It seems to be the same everywhere in the continent. There's so much potential and nothing to show for it. Just a lot of greed.

All our parliaments ate the same ffs 😂😂

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Your parliamentarian brought condom to a hearing. I want to move to SA 😂😂😂😂

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And that is the president ;)

SA is the place to be.😂

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Damn man. Awesome post.

It would be stupid of me to say that the problems in our society are because of what the colonial masters did.

But a lot of them, i have to assume are.
I cant say i know everything about how the colonial nations acted, but ive read quite a bit about it and i can say that the majority of it is terrible and in many cases horrific.
Even to this day the world politics are under a great influence of what colonial nations did a century ago.

Very true bro but the thing is, if we want to move forward we can't keep dwelling on what happened in the past. the best thing to do trace our steps back a bit, count our losses and blessings, combine who we are to what we've learnt from all those years under the colonial master and make a concerted effort to move forward.

Of course.. But those things shouldnt be forgotten and unfortunately they are. You will not see many european colonial nations discussing what their ancestors did a century ago. Where the wealth came from they used to build their shinny palaces.

Its about moving forward but educating people as to what has happened because trust me, majority do not have a clue...

Very true bro, I've been trying to learn


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Hi Belemo, thanks for using the steemstem tag. Your perspective on colonialism of Africa was a good read. The image that you are using doesn't seem to have the right copy-right license. If you change it I am sure we can give your post a upvote :o)

DQmWPdXSwgcwQV5uuTRybUZH3vUZ6pTw4ESZmDT7Ey7DXbW_1680x8400.png

Oh thanx. I've been having a hard time understanding how to get the right source for images. I google searched the image and referenced the website in which I saw it in. I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what to do or maybe I could take out the picture and replace it with a similar picture from a website that is approved by the steemstem community.
Thank you for viewing my article and I look forward to your response

It is best to look for CC0 images. The pixabay offers lots of usable images with right copy right -> https://pixabay.com/

You can find info on licenses over here -> https://steemit.com/steemstem/@steemstem/guidelines-on-copyright-standards-in-steemstem

For an example of how images are cited check this post https://steemit.com/steemstem/@lemouth/wimpzillas-as-dark-m-1554459294

I just got a similar image from pixabay and replaced it. Please is it in order?

Thanks for changing it

Thank you kind Sir, I'm particularly grateful about the image referencing explanation



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