When They Say Africans Are Backwards, I Say We Need To Evolve

There are Homo Sapiens, and there are evolved Homo Sapiens; each Homo Sapiens evolving according to their timelines. And if the Out of Africa theory is anything to go by then it is clear that those Homo Sapiens who left the comfort of the African Climate had no choice but to evolve if they were going to survive and thrive in the harshest weather-determined environments they found themselves.

This means that to evolve is a very conscious choice borne from the need to triumph mere existence. It is self-driven and garners momentum at a collective  communal spheres. This brings about the tipping point in any society's evolutionary jump. 

Colonization, the advent of Christianity and the post colonial complex no doubt in some way truncated the evolutionary direction that Homo Sapiens of Africa would have taken. Yet, it cannot be denied that colonization had both good and bad traits and tendencies it handed down to the 'conquered' who they left behind. However, it is the continuous perpetuation of the bad aspects of the empire's domineering tendencies, traits, behavioural attitude and mental subservience unfortunately, is the culture that is handed down from one generation to another of the once dominated states that has continued to underpin their obvious lack of evolution, with majority of each generation NEVER questioning why they continue to hand down these attitudes and complexes rather than EVOLVE a better way of dealing with these obnoxious tendencies that run them aground.

To show you how deep the colonial complex is, I observed on many occasions especially when I travel to other parts of the world, you'll find how easily two unfamiliar non-black, especially Caucasians are a sight for sore eyes whenever they meet each other, whereas the blacks tend to 'repel' each other when their line of sight crosses. Many do not know they actually act in this manner towards themselves. I find that this level of repulsion and attraction is almost directly proportional to how much the countries once colonised or dubbed Dominions fought for their Liberty (Boston, Australia, India, Nigeria, Barbados, South Africa) and I don't mean 'independence'. 

Liberty is earned. You fight for it. It is not handed down to you. And if you've never fought for it consciously, then that awareness of how distinct you are, of one's sense of self-worth and pride of place, race, idea and community unity will always elude the Homo Sapiens which has not evolved. Until a child consciously decides to sever the apron strings it is tied to, it never gets the kind of liberty he deserves. Liberty is a right you claim by earning it.

India for example fought to regain their liberty from the Mughal and British empires with everything they got. It was this fight by Indians to own their space and evolve as they want that actually dealt a death blow to the British empire, leading to other 'minor' countries craving for the 'idea' of independence which is not synonymous to Liberty. Incidentally China has always been an evolving nation despite its sometimes 'unorthodox' approach to survival. Nigeria and Ethiopia on the other hand did not really fight the British or Italians to earn their liberty. For Nigeria it was independence handed to them at the tail end of empire collapse. For Ethiopia it was simply living under an ancient indigenous empire that didn't evolve in their way of earning their right to live better than their once prospesrous ancestors.

Interestingly, after reading the book Ten Cities by Tristram Hunt, I came away feeling how even amongst the Caucasians, their consciousness of liberty is something they exercise their right to claim every time it was trampled or challenged by the ruling elites, monarchs or political big wigs of any given era, for example the famous Boston Tea part of 1773. Also In Melbourne, Australia where it was a collection of a class-divided society and a mixture of brigands, jail birds etc., they would not take nonsense from their fellow British from the other side of the Atlantic no matter how much British they claim they were than the Australian-born Brits. It therefore shows that civic pride, race pride, the right to exercise one's liberty is a way of life, the way to thrive. It is something a nation hands down to succeeding generations through its literature, political frameworks, arts and culture, laws, jurisprudence, policies, poetry, ethics, values, belief systems and lifestyles.

So when they say Africa is backwards, it simply means they haven't awoken to the need to evolve their status quo; nothing in their evolutionary progress in their habitat has really threatened their survival and existence to such an extent as to jolt them to jump the evolutionary loop as it were. If you happen to live in a place like Ireland during the winter, you will understand why the inhabitants need to evolve a new set of survival skills to not only survive but thrive in such inhuman environments. 

Still, does Africa need to wait until something really catastrophic happens before they would evolve? 

You may beg to differ that Africa has seen its fair share of problems, therefore it should have evolved but till date has not risen up to solve or resolve these challenges in their fullest sense, which calls into question that perhaps, collectively speaking, Africans are yet to claim OWNERSHIP of their lives and way of living. If that is the case, then it will take a long time to play catch-up.

Just recently, as I was driving through the old country side of Ondo, to Ife then to Ibadan, I couldn't help but notice how good we are at copying ideas, beliefs, lifestyles etc., with initial enthusiasm and a bit of gragra. Then after copying it, we often tend to retrogress worst than how the original ideas were conveyed, marketed, applied and improved upon. From selling chicken, to interior design, lumber yards, coal manufacturing and sale, there's no significant improvement from the way it was a 1,000 years ago as we drive through these parts. And when improvements are made, it often is a good copycat, a MOR rather than something more exciting and innovative. This kind of disposition is even more obvious in the kind of stultifying civil service we have, sinecure politicians and politics we practice and the dilettante system of education we run resulting in a society whose mind, spirit and body does not know that Liberty means upping one's game by evolving even if it's at one's pace. That's what makes India different. All evolution is apparent and actual. You feel it. You see it. You know it. 

This is my mission: to find out whether Africa's temperament may also be at play here in how we embrace, select or reject forms of evolution so crucial to survive and thrive luxuriantly. This is just an inchoate idea that's probably beginning to give me an insight as to the root cause of why many Africans, Nigeria in context here seems 'retrogressive'. 

Or perhaps, is it because all we have today are not our ideas so a lacuna exists from which to progress forward by ensuring that gap is filled or that we choose to leap that gap by changing the trajectory so we can fashion our evolution....?

I read somewhere in the book Ten Cities written by Tristram Hunt "... that the Africa man is stubborn and cruel..." yet that characteristic is not unique to Africans as it is quite common amongst the Europeans, Arabs, and Asians too. So maybe that is not the real issue. 

Perhaps, even if this observation about the Africans were true, to use as a working theory, it will then mean that NOT realising and accepting that these characteristics do become terrible flaws when not channelled properly to achieve a definite purpose that affirms liberation rather than a state of subservient domination, may have to a large extent kept Africans in a flux state of moronic inertia. So what we need is a new set of survival skills: Mental, Attitudinal and Behavioural skills-set that brings about the mind evolution so badly needed to leap collectively.

Here's my proposition:

First, we need to begin an internal adventure of our mind and spirit. We must know who we are: our thinking processes, thinking styles and patterns, what informs our belief's system, the nature of our temperament, the culture of information transference and the tendency to horde information rather than share; the need to acknowledge that the tendency of taking only glory rather than focus on areas of cooperative and collaborative contributions slows us down. This means accepting that a large number of us tend to behave in a certain way, and accepting this awareness based on observations and facts that leads us to achieving clarity that some traits we exhibits are indeed weaknesses, albeit handed down from one generation to the next 'as traditions'. 

This KNOWING, this realisation that these areas need us to work on will only begin the internal change of attitude, thinking and behaviour that will emancipate our mind - the way we process ideas, implement them and sustain them. It is the faulty but continuous hands-me-down of our old unworkable ways of thinking styles, culture, lifestyle, behaviour, attitude, and self worthiness that needs a quick jump in evolutionary revolution and attainment. 

There are a few specific individuals who are already on this path. But to get the kind of holistic revolution we need to make that shift, it will need a larger number of the citizenry to embrace it consciously.

Second, we must not be afraid to question who we have become. Are we the best of what we ought to have become? If not, then we should stop, think and question why we have derailed, what made us derailed, and at what point did we derail.

Third, we must not be afraid to question 'authority teachings' and way of thinking handed down to us. It is time we begin to stop swallowing everything that's been fed to us through religion, politics, education, social norms and practices with a quiet but certain desire to find out things for ourselves. This can be effectively achieved not in a confrontational manner but in a way that stimulates us to KNOW, to DISCOVER and UNDERSTAND. To Know and to Act means Knowing to Do.

Fourth: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW. We need to demystify much of our collective thinking that tends to say 'if the society agrees then everyone must tow the thinking of the moment or period'. It is time for us to embrace thinking out of the box away from ancient methods of doing things that has not done us much good or elevated us to becoming better equipped humans capable of surviving well in any given environment. Morals are laws that works for given societies. Bad laws equals to bad morals. Any society that does not execute good justice is dictated by the undercurrents of bad laws. 

Fifth, it is time to let go of the colonial past and stop blaming someone else for our lack of economic progress, ethnic hate crimes, insecurity, religious intolerance, poor educational systems, lack of proper institutions and think tanks, misuse of resources, stultifying civil service, underdeveloped research institutes and scientific evolution, hijacked democracy, disrespect for the rule of law and the protection of sacred cows, perpetuation of eye service and the enthronement of mediocrity. All of these was brought upon us by us. When you teach a man to steal from you, he'll simply take everything else you have because you gave him permission to.       

Sixth, stop the beggar mentality. Stop the 'there's-not-enough-for-all" mentality. Stop the grab-now-by-any-means attitude to living, business, religion, schooling, lifestyle, culture.

Seventh, stimulate and reawaken the reading culture in our children, and in ourselves. Inspire our children to be more imaginative, daring to discover new frontiers and not train them to think it is someone else's job to be a solution's provider while your kids look for who would employ them and pay them stipends or monthly salaries because you've helped trained them to have a dependency mentality. Tell your children that they can become creators, innovators in ANY FIELD OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR. Steve Jobs gave us Apple. What else can EACH of our children create?

Eight, where you say your home is, that's how well you'd take care of it. If you say it is somewhere away from earth - the only place you're currently living - then you would never do anything to make your current abode better much less evolve new technologies for better living. How ironic, even hypocritical it must be then to want to travel to better developed cities or countries because you can't stand living in yours!

Ninth, we need to take pride in our place in this world as we define it. Be proud of our skin, hair, colour, way of dressing, food, values and culture that promotes our self/pan-determinism, our heritage, our abilities through positive actions that leads to growth and promotes excellence.

Tenth, stop talking and start taking affirmative actions. We MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR CHOICES, ACTIONS, BELIEFS, and ETHOS. We must take seriously the importance of personal and collective security of our country, homes, businesses, resources, institutions and frameworks. ETHICS IS EVERYTHING. Live a life of ethical consistency. How can we do this?

• We must move from the psychology of consumption to that of building wealth by creating and using only materials and resources within our clime in all spheres of life: agriculture, architecture, refineries, power generation, gas production: recycle and conversion, science and research development, building industries, promote creative and innovative ideas synonymous to our clime's survival with more advanced improvements.

• Understand what building wealth means. That it is a long term investment, goal and vision. Immediate gratification is a short term view that leads to being a consumer rather than a producer. To achieve this, we need to consciously practice the habit of keeping monies and wealth made in Nigeria to remain in Nigeria created by Nigerians for Nigerians to be used and spent by Nigerians. We need to start being happy for our brothers and sisters who are honest workers making a living and not sabotage their efforts through constant begging, disrespect, back biting, kidnapping, ethnic bias at work place, in business dealings, relationships or presenting them with stumbling blocks. When you destroy honest money in any society, you destroy the principles and ethical fabrics of all. What's wrong with a MADE IN NIGERIA products or logo?

• Any man who steals from himself is a fool. He is a bigger fool when he feels that anybody outside his family, his race, his country is better to be trusted with money, resources, connections and advancement in every spheres of life. He becomes the biggest fool when after making money in his country decides it is better to invest abroad in another continent, country, state, city, town or village. We do not owe a former empire any allegiance of that sort. What we can have with them are mutually benefiting areas of cooperation, not sanctions, devaluation of the Naira, or subservient obsequiousness to their whims and caprices. You cannot make money in Nigeria and import that money abroad! No sane person does that! It is not done. Period. Let the Naira circulate in all sectors of our economy and build wealth many times over before it sees a hand different from the source where the money came from. That is the mark of a shrewd business man: Paying for services rendered not looking for who would do him a 'favour', 'bless him' 'or do it for God',  or 'do it for free' without the worker getting paid for his contributions, services or job done. And when the money finally goes into outside investment, it is done in such a way that the ROI comes back to the country in the quickest possible time. Anyone found looting Nigeria's money doesn't deserve positions of higher responsibility. One statistics I read somewhere says that the Jew's money exchanges hands 18 times before leaving his community. That's a practice worth gleaning from.

Instead of buying big jeeps and SUVs for bad roads and spending money to import broken car parts as a result of pot-hole accidents, what do you think we should do?

Instead of buying expensive foreign name brands: bags, shoes, etc., that can't compete favourably in our weather, how can we harness our raw materials to create quality bags, shoes, etc., that lasts and last?

Instead of importing wood, ceilings, nails, columns, roofing sheets, designs from abroad to build and decorate our houses, what is wrong in having improved versions of our bamboos like the Chinese have done? What is wrong in designing roofs that suits our kind of weather and climate rather than copy those of other countries designed to cope with their own weather! The more we keep importing from the same colonial institutions, we impoverish ourselves and enrich them. The case of lack of functional and up-to-date- refineries and drop in fuel prices that has become the bane of our economic existence is enough lesson for the wise. Does it mean it is wrong to import and form bilateral relations with other countries? The answer is: WHAT ARE YOU GETTING IN RETURN?

Instead of grooming graduates to seek for job, turn our education system around, our economic climate, business ethics and perception of work into a society that grooms builders of businesses and institutions. If you don't think your child is good enough to be the industrial garbage cleaner then make damn sure he is a creator! Not one looking for who would pay him salary for nothing.

Rather than look for the dead-gone ancestors to blame for the woes in your life, take responsibility for your mistakes, faults, oversights and poor judgements! Stop looking for enemies that only exist in your mind. Stop praying about that unknown and unseen enemy asking for thunder to strike them! Rather expend ALL that energy into looking inwards, inside you and be brave to confront your own image not matter how ugly it is. Then and only then can you take charge of your 'fate' and 'destiny'. You are the master of your life. Let no man tell you otherwise.

Rather than seek for IMF loans, STOP NOW. Look around. Look within Nigeria. MAKE POWER AVAILABLE 24 HOURS NON-STOP and see how this country will boom! Money everywhere! Enough already of the de-evaluation of the Naira.

Rather than always looking for the easy way out, exercise your Mind to Think, to Reason, to Create and Execute expeditiously. Mind laziness and cruelty goes hand in hand.

Each state in Nigeria is blessed. As long as you have a village or state, invest and develop it. When you develop other people's state, they won't thank you because they gave you land and enabling environment for you to succeed. Take these lessons with you and go and improve your village, state and country. Is it wrong to develop where one resides? The answer: WHEN GIVEN, GIVE BACK.

United stands Always no matter your race, tribe, ethnicity or country. Until an African country takes a bold but advanced unapologetic stand in the world stage, our voice will simply be reverberating echoes devoid of substance.

The path to enlightenment, liberty, knowledge and understanding is sound relevant education. The North, South, East and West of Nigeria needs to evolve better than the current state, methods and pedagogy of education in Nigeria. 

In the end, we ARE what we become by how we act and live our lives. And it begins with you saying 'I AM'.