
"IS AFRICA REALLY A POOR CONTINENT? OR WE HAVEN'T TAPPED INTO POTENTIAL & WE MISMANAGE A LOT?"
As Africans we fail to ask relevant questions and the above is one of them.
I had this conversation with a friend on Nigeria, you see, he posted something about Nigeria as a poor nation and I was quick to remind him otherwise.
Nigeria and most African Nations are quite richer than you can imagine and it shows in their oil / greenery, infrastructure and national resources. The great tragedy is that we engage in a lot of white elephant projects, political corruption, contract embezzlement and nepotism are the order of the day.
According to Focus-economics.com, Africa remains the poorest continent on earth, that is propaganda I'm not falling for because if Africa was truly poor, why are they associating with us? Why are they stealing the missing pieces of developmental puzzle in youth and natural resources? It's easy, we are richer than them. They used us to step on, only to paint us poorer than them. The book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa remains a deep exploration into the massive joint woes borne by people of the black race.
However, unlike other writers whose work would be crying over spilt milk, there is something I recommend we can do to salvage the future of our damaged continent and that is to TAP INTO OUR MASSIVE POTENTIAL.
As a young person and a mentor to other young people, I always advise them to look within. GREATNESS COMES FROM WITHIN.
Africa should adapt and start learning to use their resources and potential in cash and kind and the best way to do such is to do what Japan did in the 1800s. We should cut communication with the other continents and build ourselves from within. Also we should stop humiliating ourselves by taking loans from the World Bank and IMF, we have the resources, they are just being embezzled and perverted.
Also, we should start manufacturing our own products and make them standardized I mean we need to start seeing more African foods: Things like canned moi-moi, Groundnut Pako biscuit, Tiger nut flavoured Ice cream and Smoothies, African Popcorn, African candies and more.
African Fashion: Aso oke Crop tops, Guinea baggy trousers, Lace material Modern outfits, African themed shades and innovations that would shake and revolutionize the fashion world.
African Technology: African pots, gadgets and phones, and these can be achieved by collaborating with black tech experts in advanced nations.
African Infrastructure: Benin Mazes, groundnut Pyramids, Cocoa themed houses, African themed stadiums.
When we start developing and producing our own things, we leave the shackles of modern slavery.
Finally, we boycott their award shows especially things like the Grammys that maltreat and traumatize African talent, if not for strong wit and courage a lot of artists would have gotten worse or even retired after Grammy losses. Instead, let's replace them with African Award shows and ceremonies.
We are not poor, we've just been foolish and reckless in the past and we must not let such repeat itself. Peace out
Mayowa Akintola-Daniels · Adeleke University, Ede
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