By Steven Odemo
Africa is one of the seven continents that constitute the planet Earth, initially referred to as ‘the lost land’ by the so-called missionaries and explorers, who later turned out to be colonizers after discovering the endowment in riches that the continent had.
Even today, African countries are still afflicted by a multitude of problems like poverty, poor infrastructure, natural resource curse, and energy poverty, among others. This article argues that African ideas can solve today’s challenges, many of which are tied to the colonial era. It discusses the importance of decolonizing African perspectives in media, education, and governance to foster a stronger sense of self-determination and cultural pride.
There are injustices that were created by colonialists in Africa. They subjected Africa’s inhabitants to slavery, inhuman, and servitude actions like mere properties, objects, and articles.
Three thousand years ago, the Western world merged, divided, and scrambled for different societies of Africans amongst themselves and claimed their ownership over them, starting with Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Later on, the fire of colonization burned almost every society on the continent. In the name of ‘civilizing the inhabitants’, the Western world imported and imposed their papered ideas in the form of ‘laws and remedies’, which outweighed the African customs and rules.
The Africans were forced to dance on the tune they had no idea of, which eradicated what they believed was their own way of life. This initiated the declaration of some customs as null and void. For example, the demand for the payment of bride price among in-law families. See Amkyo v. Republic.
Later, the ‘Civilized Africans’ started crying for self-determination through the demand of independence. Africans like Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, among others, managed to deliver their countries from white man’s control. However, it is sad that less has been done to take back the wounded Africa to its roots. Rather, the white man’s ideologies still dominate the mindset of Africans.
A continent with a rich history, diverse cultures, and vast resources is incapable of crafting and drafting its own solutions that draw from indigenous knowledge and philosophies to address the challenges at home, but rather, running back to the colonial masters for help in the form of donations and aid.
We are subjected to their legal standards, subjects, and language. Our courts are bound by their principles, statutes, and decided opinions. Laws applicable in Africa are a result of the Orders in Council, for example, the one of 1902 in Uganda. Little are the ideas emphasizing the need to reclaim African ingenuity, harness the power of local knowledge, and resist over-reliance on external interventions from the former masters.
Summits are only hosted by the whites, where African Heads of State are transported in ‘School buses’ and sit under the umbrella of one superpower who commends the rest. They rule under fear of not knowing what knocks on the door of their leadership, since no one wishes to drink on the cup of late Muammar Gaddafi.
When they do not follow the white man’s commands, their way of leadership is characterized as dictatorial, primitive, and not satisfying the universal standards. What happens when African leaders monitor each other and are not influenced by the colonial masters?
An awake call: before colonizers, African societies had well-established systems of governance, healthcare (herbs, which are referred to now as charms; during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Ogwang Patrick of Mbarara University was the brain behind the wonder COVID-19 drug Covidex, which was very effective and yet it was 100% herbal), conflict resolution, worship centers, and education, which were deeply rooted in cultural values, communalism, and a holistic understanding of human well-being.
Communities understood different human concepts, a case in point, Ubuntu (I am because we are!), which formed the foundation for social cohesion, emphasizing mutual support, respect, and cooperation between individuals and societies. I am well conversant with the fact that we have moved from the ancient to the modern age. However, this doesn’t make us them but keeps us under them. Unless one establishes and respects history (the roots), one will not appreciate what the future holds.
To solve the so-called modern problems, Africans can still draw from traditional philosophies. For instance, indigenous agricultural techniques such as mixed cropping and permaculture were sustainable long before modern industrial farming practices. Similarly, traditional medicine, which incorporates the use of local plants and holistic approaches to health, has been practiced for centuries with success, offering potential insights for modern healthcare systems.
Africa can address challenges in ways that resonate with local realities, rather than copying the white man’s designs that are suitable for their skins and weather. For instance, 70% of the African problems are colonial-based. The continent suffers from, just to mention a few, discrimination, for example, based on differences in religions, poor welfare and wellbeing, dictatorship, and massive killings. These can only be solved by a nuanced understanding of the historical, political, and social complexities of the continent.
Over-reliance on external ideas and models has worsened the situation; in the end, we are running back to the oppressor seeking help. For instance, foreign aid and external interventions in governance or development have blocked African self-thinking, leading to overlooking the local realities and perpetuating dependence.
Our countries are divided alongside the so-called superpowers and their ideologies. They don’t consider us competent enough to sustain our societies through the native ideas without their financial and military aids, yet they call us for support. When they are fighting for their selfish interests, we have no option but to support the war that we have no idea about.
We feel uncomfortable being here; they brainwashed us to consider our motherland as a ‘cursed area’, associated with problems and insufficiency, running to them for solutions year in and year out.
Our history is considered valueless; we are taught their revolutions and civil wars with the mindset that they were fighting for universal rights.
Our maps are kept in their achieves, dictating which minerals to use, influencing our national budgets as if we live under their mercy. What happened to the great ideas like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an initiative aiming at integrating African economies and encouraging intra-African trade?
This is a clear example of a locally driven solution aimed at addressing economic challenges in ways that align with African priorities. One of the critical ideas that underpins African problem-solving is continental-based action.
African societies have failed to appreciate the need for collective responsibility as key to resolving their challenges. For example, participatory development, where communities are actively involved in developing and implementing development projects, has been more successful than top-down approaches in many parts of Africa. Just like Asia, Africa can stand and solve its own p