independence evokes profound emotions across Africa. But when it comes to development and economics, independence alone has rarely been enough to propel any country on the continent forward. Why is that?
Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth‘s land area and 6% of its total surface area.[9] With nearly 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world’s human population. Africa’s population is the youngest among all the continents;[10][11] the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4.[12] Based on 2024 projections, Africa’s population will reach 3.8 billion people by 2099.
Back in 1950, Liberia and Ethiopia were the only two African countries that were free from colonial rule. Today, nearly all African countries are independent and sovereign states. Some, like South Sudan, Eritrea and Namibia, even became independent from other African countries.
However, becoming an independent nation has not necessarily translated into economic or regional prosperity in many instances, according to experts like Juste Codjo, an assistant professor and security studies analyst from Benin.
“Independence is rather just something that we can say happened, but we cannot confirm that, in reality, African countries are fully independent,” Codjo told Infodorm.
The history of Africa is long, complex, and varied, and has often been under-appreciated by the global historical community.[21] In African societies the oral word is revered, and they have generally recorded their history via oral tradition, which has led anthropologists to term them “oral civilisations”, contrasted with “literate civilisations” which pride the written word.[a][24]: 142–143 During the colonial period, oral sources were deprecated by most historians, who claimed Africa had no history. African historiography became organized at the academic level in the mid-20th century, and saw a movement towards utilising oral sources in a multidisciplinary approach, culminating in the General History of Africa, edited by specialists from across the continent.
Africa, particularly Eastern Africa, is widely accepted to be the place of origin of humans and the Hominidae clade, also known as the great apes. The earliest hominids and their ancestors have been dated to around 7 million years ago, and Homo sapiens (modern human) are believed to have originated in Africa 350,000 to 260,000 years ago.[b] Africa is also considered by anthropologists to be the most genetically diverse continent as a result of being the longest inhabited.[31][32][33] In the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE Ancient Egypt, Kerma, Punt, and the Tichitt Tradition emerged in North, East and West Africa, while from 3000 BCE to 1000 CE the Bantu expansion swept from modern-day Cameroon through Central, East, and Southern Africa, displacing or absorbing groups such as the Khoisan and Pygmies. Some African empires include Wagadu, Mali, Songhai, Sokoto, Ife, Benin, Asante, the Fatimids, Almoravids, Almohads, Ayyubids, Mamluks, Kongo, Mwene Muji, Luba, Lunda, Kitara, Aksum, Ethiopia, Adal, Ajuran, Kilwa, Sakalava, Imerina, Maravi, Mutapa, Rozvi, Mthwakazi, and Zulu. Despite the predominance of states, many societies were heterarchical and stateless.[c] Slave trades created various diasporas, especially in the Americas. From the late 19th century to early 20th century, driven by the Second Industrial Revolution, most of Africa was rapidly conquered and colonised by European nations, save for Ethiopia and Liberia.[36] European rule had significant impacts on Africa’s societies, and colonies were maintained for the purpose of economic exploitation and extraction of natural resources. Most present states emerged from a process of decolonisation following World War II, and established the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, the predecessor to the African Union.[37] The nascent countries decided to keep their colonial borders, with traditional power structures used in governance to varying degrees.
17 nations in sub-Saharan Africa gained their independence from Europe. From Senegal on the far western edge of the continent to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the heart of Africa, 1960 marked the year the countries broke free from European colonial rule.
If Africa was allowed to own,control and generate wealth from its natural resources while participating
in the global market as producers or sellers Africa, would be richer than the West. Of course,
the reality is that in a white supremacist and anti-black system, black folks will never be
given the fair opportunity to own resources and compete with white nations.
For this reason, there are ongoing shadows activities being conducted in Africa to
ensure its demise by killing off good leaders, secretly funding corrupt government
into power or intimidating them to sign deals to sell their country.
THIS HAS BEEN THE WAY OF COLONIALS SINCE THEY LEFT THE AFRICAN CONTINENT
USING TACTICS LIKE PROXY WARS AND mercenaries ETC TO DISTURB AND DISTORT THE GROWTH PROCESS OF THE CONTINENT WHILE ALLOWING THEM UNREGULATED EXPLOITATION OF AFRICAN RESOURCES .
Lets us know your thoughts what you think and if you believe Africa could every be free to control and grow without the influence of the western colonial structure! how do you feel African leaders would fair in terms of ushering development in the continent beyond western influences?.
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