Growing up in Nigeria in the 90s, very little was done to
encourage any sense of ‘Nigerianness’ or patriotism. Buying locally made
products was seen as a sign of poverty and bad taste, and some even thought
speaking any of the indigenous languages was a sign of illiteracy.
We were actively encouraged to be more Western and pride was found
in mundane things like speaking with an American accent. Many of my
contemporaries went on to struggle with their sense of identity as it proved
almost impossible to marry Western ideals with West African realities.
Fast forward to the present day and a lot has been done to foster
patriotism. Boasting Africa’s largest movie industry and one of the most
vibrant music industries in the world, young Nigerians now proudly support
these locally made products without any fear of denigration. But the battle is
not yet won. There is still a lingering sense of Western superiority by
default, not only in Nigeria but across Africa.
For many years, the image of Africa beamed across the world was
that of poverty, war and corruption, sprinkled with something about great
wildlife. The old rhetoric of helpless Africans needing the help of
well-meaning Westerners has become the accepted narrative. So much that many
Africans have even come to accept it as the undisputable truth. Many, as a
default reaction, now automatically turn to the West and Western ways for
solutions to all problems, without any consideration for context or the reality
that an ideology is not perfect simply because it is Western.
For example, trade liberalisation, an initiative pioneered by The World Bank and IMF to boost trade between the developing world and the rest of the world, reportedly cost
sub-Saharan Africa $272
billion between 1985 and 2005. Imports went up but there wasn't much change in terms of exports. Had this not been the case, the countries
affected would have had enough extra income to wipe out their debts and still have
more than enough left over. In the process of implementing trade
liberalisation, African women, traditionally involved in small scale
entrepreneurship, were also systematically
side-lined, severely affecting their role and contribution to rural
communities. But despite this, and the absence of any signs of improvement,
many African commentators still insist that trade
liberalisation is the right way to go.
I believe it is time for Africans to lose the inferiority complex
and bang the drum about their culture regardless of whether or not it conflicts
with Western ideologies. Japan and China provide a great template for how to do
this whilst ensuring progression and modernization.
Japan, for example, seems to have been able to achieve both
modernization and the preservation of its distinctive culture. They have
adopted a brand of cultural adaptability that has allowed them to learn from
other cultures and adapt them to their own purposes. There have been some
changes, as with any other culture, but not at the expense of the values their
society was founded on. The absorption of Western science, technology and
learning has been done over the years with open eyes and honest evaluation, not
blind acceptance.
In the name of enlightenment, many cultures in Africa face the
threat of extermination under the heavy strain of Western powers who are taking
advantage of ongoing struggles. It can even be said that many parts of Africa
are in the middle of a second wave of
colonization that is both subtle and ruthless at the same time.
There is so much more to be said on this topic but the fact of the
matter is that no culture or ideology is perfect. Every culture has its plus
points and negatives and it would be grossly unfair to only speak of the positives
of one while only speaking of the other’s negatives.
The saying goes that ‘Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a
fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it
is stupid’. To judge Africa according to Europe is unfair at best and at worst,
malicious. If we judge Africa on what it does well and not on what Europe does
better, maybe we will then be able to see what it has to offer its people and
in turn the rest of the world.
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