The widely used flag of Pan Africanism. |
In the preceding centuries, Africa stood the test of time when her land and people were subjected to invasions and colonization by major European powers.
In
the mid-20th century, Africa emancipated most of her territories and
people from physical and direct European domination.
The continent’s wide-front struggle for independence prepared the way for the 21st-century generation of Africa as free people. Free from fear of human enslavement, fear of racial segregation, and colonial suppression within the mother continent.
Nevertheless, Africa still holds strong ties with former colonial powers like France and the United Kingdom, some of which are still dominating the continent from political to economic viewpoints.
Such a scenario points to the fact that Africa’s struggle for independence in the mid-20th century was not fully won as crucial parts of it were greatly compromised. It is the responsibility of the African people of this millennium to fully emancipate the motherland.
The people of Africa are the most valuable assets the continent has. They bear the great responsibility of protecting the continent in all possible ways.
In this millennium, Africa’s future is defined by a great number of factors. Among them will be;
#1. A United and Centralized Leadership in Africa
In this millennium, African states must move without hesitation to formulate a centralized leadership. A united and centralized leadership will help galvanize the continent against any unscrupulous external influences.
The lack of centralized leadership in Africa has been the Trojan horse for the colonial powers who take great pleasure in exploiting the lack of unity among African people.
Balkanization of African people and their lands that was set in place during the Berlin conference in 1885 is time-worn and very analog.
Furthermore, balkanization of African landmass into several independent and porous states has only worked in favor of economic predators.
A united Africa will have a stronger bargaining chip in international affairs. In a centralized leadership, Africa will be capable of mobilizing its resources and taking advantage of the presence of wider markets to improve its production capacity.
Economic integration across Africa must be intensified in this millennium to open up the continent to her people that for a long time have been confined within time-worn colonial borders.
The generation of third-world political figures angry for power is up, and those African leaders still taking pride in the balkanization of the motherland for personal gains from political power must be voted out.
In this century, Africa must formulate a centralized military, a common currency, and a functional centralized leadership.
The African Union that many perceive to be a sleeping giant must be woken up as soon as possible before the damage is irreparable.
The future of any race in the world greatly depends on the soundness of its leadership. In the quest for a new face of Africa, leadership is at the top of the list of that which must be revised.
Before Africa will sit as an equal partner in the table of global affairs, its leadership must be revised and brought to unity and order. There is no hallway compromise to this.
#2. Mass Eradication of Fear and Poverty on The Continent Wide-Front
Majority of writers and experts in personal development have argued and even proved that poverty is a state of mind, birthed and bred by the mind of men who think of themselves as less fortunate and doomed to it.
Poverty is Africa’s greatest enemy and threat to the free living of its people. The fear of poverty was well injected into the African people long before the turn of the millennium through economic predation by colonialists.
This fear has been well groomed and passed on from generation to generation by those Africans who portray the habit of indifference towards creation of wealth and rising above mediocrity.
The majority of Africans who go through life as poverty-stricken either inherited this state of poverty from the foregoing generation and have been unable to elevate themselves or are those who accepted poverty as their potion.
As the global community journeys into the new millennium, all Africans must fully realize that wretchedness is nothing to be proud of. In this new age, there should be fertile ventures and opportunities for those who can get up and grab them.
There should be no more physical colonial masters who define our economic status through either forced labor or poor working conditions and wages as it were in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today every African has the power and will “to be who they want to be” and “to own all that they can” without violating the laws of nature.
Africans who still disdain wealth or “riches” due to this or that reason are as dumb as they are guilty of passing down fear of poverty and a state of destitution to their offspring.
In this millennium, accompanied by the new age of enlightenment, African people must not confuse culture with poverty – if a tradition entails embracing low standards of living (for instance, lack of right of women to own property, work, or get an education) then it must be revised.
Additionally, Africa’s leadership must ensure easy access to social amenities, provide excellent infrastructure in all regions, and favorable investment opportunities to all without any reproach.
The main point of focus for Africa’s leadership and administrations is cautioning of the markets and factors of production from various economic predators.
#3. Call For Thorough and Comprehensive Education for African People
Education is the cornerstone of development. If Africa must rise above the bare minimum, her people must be thoroughly and comprehensively get educated.
Gone should be the days when early education of Africans was solely based on classroom indoctrination without possible acquisition of technical and practical marketable skills and knowledge.
Pan-Africans have continuously urged that no oppressor can effectively educate the oppressed to the extent of handing them the necessary power to stand up against oppression.
Therefore, African leadership must undertake the education of Africans without any possible room for compromise by external forces or internal adversaries.
This notion does not call for separation or isolation from the international community, rather it calls for Africans to take full responsibility for matters that influence their destinies such as education.
Civilization is full of proof that Africa has had the most ancient education centers in the world that attracted men from all corners of the world.
Therefore, it is only a misinformed opinion that Africa cannot educate herself without having to entirely rely on the external world.
Self-education and awareness among African people must come first. Africans must master the art of self-control, and self-discipline and so train their mind to dispel any fears and its basics.
With self-education, Africans of this millennium will appreciate reason, create better human relations and embrace the love for all humanity.
Additionally, in this new age, African education must entail the acquisition of applicable technical skills rather than just theoretical knowledge as has been witnessed in the prior centuries.
Inadequate applicable technical and vocational training did see the continent have a swarm of jobless degree holders due to inadequate or gaps in their skill sets necessary for available jobs.
Thorough and competent education will solve Africa’s problem of unemployment by a significant percentage which in return will rapidly eradicate poverty on the continent-wide front.
Parting Shot
The future and prosperity of Africa and her people are the responsibility of her individual citizens and her organized leadership.
In this new age, we no longer have to blame the former colonizer for doing this and that to undermine Africa’s development.
Rather, African leadership will take the whip for not fully integrating the continent both economically and politically, and for its failure to fully caution the continent.
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Additionally, African citizens will receive the same whip for not showing the steadfast patriotism and dedication necessary for the development of a “great society.”
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