Africa's Underdevelopment: The Nigerian Predicament

Book excerpt: For the past 50 years, and I am now in my mid-80s, I have been inundated with questions that I never seem to have answers to. The questions have come from the young and the old; educated and the uneducated; academicians, politicians, public affairs analysts; and men and women of all races. Worst still, when people at all levels make any efforts to offer any explanations, their explanations often stop at reiterating the same questions, not bothering to reason out of the box – thereby deepening the factors that have bedeviled Africa and the black race. The efforts never go beyond discussing the issues while the causes and the way forward often remain untouched. The COVID-19 period was the period I found myself severely restricted as I had never experienced before. For the reason I can not remember now, I challenged myself to address the myriad of questions aforesaid and proffer a way forward from my little corner. In 1776, Adam Smith’s Magnum Opus, The Wealth of Nations, made its debut in England. There were similar literary works that broke out at the same time in Europe, especially in France. The general theme of the various works was that men (human beings) should be allowed to follow their self-interest as might be directed by some “invisible hand” without any hindrance from the government of the day. If this was allowed, individuals would be fulfilled or satisfied and nations would be wealthy. How did this play out? Europeans swooped on Africa to pursue their self-interests backed by their cabal-controlled governments. The European cabals and their foot soldiers were immensely successful, and their countries became rich, and are still rich – but all are for vanity and personal aggrandizement. It was the slave trade at first, and after that, came the ruthless exploitations of human and material resources of the African continent, its citizens, and the black race. This has been the case these past seven centuries, and it remains so up till today. I discovered too that these mischievous nations and individuals devised how things will remain the same forever. They are ruling African countries directly and by proxy. They recruited and are still recruiting their intermediaries who we call our leaders to rule us on their behalf. African leaders, from the presidents to the lowest in the leadership hierarchy, are nothing more than intermediaries - created and nurtured by their past colonial masters who are always looming like a shadow behind them. What is the way forward? Possession is said to be a greater part of ownership. Africa must rise to own their possession. Africa and the blacks are the first and the best. Africa and blacks all over the world should turn the tables against the nations that are riding high simply by the application of barbaric force, wicked manipulation of people, religious bigotry, and worthless subterfuges. They will not change on their own as nobody changes a winning card. Africa must rise up therefore to possess their possession.