Poverty in Africa : The Chinua Achebe Perspective

Poverty in Africa : The Chinua Achebe Perspective

Africa must think and act smart

Nelson Mandela is a rare African theme. He represents fresh energy of a new African spirit. His leadership leanings serve the future of Africa’s ideological personality. He stunned the world with his one-term tenure, being the first black president of Independent South Africa, in a continent of sit-tight leaders.

Here is a man who would not go to a hospital outside his native South Africa, even for a crucial medical routine.  He was sick lately, but chose to stay back, “for better and for worse”-like the old-worn marriage pledge of a groom to a cherished bride, that Africa, is to him. His action is again a strange break with the traditions of African elite leaders who pay their way in fortunes for routine medical treatment abroad. He has implicit confidence in the quality and spirit of whatever his homeland could offer.

Mandela’s lifestyle and achievements offers rich treasures to a continent struck with poverty of ideology.  He is, with very few others, a rare bright spot on Africa’s tarnished spectrum. Perhaps that’s why Africa remains poor. Africa requires reconfiguration of its essence and personality. This must come with the votes of the majority of its “ideologically-displaced” six hundred million people.

Incidentally, a huge size of the world’s natural resources is found in Africa. It’s also one of the densely populated regions of the world.  It is ironic indeed that most of world’s poor dwell here. Africa’s poverty spawns beyond the scrawny façade of famished children in endemic regions we see in documentaries or the dismal economic statistics the World Bank splashes in the media.

Africa is the world’s basket of rubbish. It’s poor because it thrives on the world’s rubbish. Africa is the natural recipient of all forms of merchandise - second hand clothes, substandard industrial machineries and stocks, cultural imports, including some junky expatriates flunked in from anywhere, most of whom are low-grade artisans who could not fit in their own lands but are seconded to Africa where they man top projects and are paid handsomely.

Every sphere of the world looks to the “green pastures” in Africa, to fleece their own economy. Africa’s bright brains get trapped in other climes-lifting and supporting the civilizations of their host nations. Much of the funds that should account for important development projects are stowed away in foreign accounts by Africa’s political leaders.

 This is Africa’s first call to poverty. At the heart of Africa’s poverty is the loss of guiding development and social ideology. Africa’s lack of self-confidence has always stood in its way to forging realistic home-grown technology support suitable for its economic sustenance. It has always, solely relied on the advice and patronage of the developed world.

Africa lacks a natural identity of its own, and that accounts for its lack of ability to define institutional, cultural and social controls to enable it withstand the shocks and perils of global dynamic changes. In the course of this kind of poverty, the African is tossed into the maze of frosty identity. He is lost in the pool of cultural contradictions.

Who is an African? He is not easily the man with a black skin or dark hair. He is one from a continent where everything goes. A continent lost control. The continent that reeks of thieving and vault-raiding.

Successive years of misrule by Africa’s leaders put out Africans as prey to the whole world.  Africa accounts for more than 60% of the entire refugee population of the world, in fact the highest occupational migratory continent of all times.

One can only understand the image stigma Africa suffers outside the shores of the continent. Africans are first to be suspected at the custom points. Nigerians are in this frontline of people who are mostly treated with overt suspicion and contempt in the global front. The world reasons: if Africa’s leaders are habitual thieves; are its citizens less likely to be criminal characters?

In the words of Abraham Lincoln “It is very difficult to frustrate a man who feels worthy of himself.” Africa suffers from the resultant loss of sense of pride and worthy self-image in itself.  A people who do not believe in themselves cannot leap into meaningful self-development.

Africa’s poverty is prominently invisible.  It’s poverty of the mind and soul. It is pointless for Africa to embark on physical development without the redeeming attributes of mental and spiritual rehabilitation. Even with the best roads and fine architectural showpieces dotting its landscapes, even with the best of schools and Technology, Africa may still remain poor.

The mental and spiritual features of Africa need to be refaced.  Africa’s first mission in this 21st century should be to define itself. The people need to believe again in themselves and the continent they inhabit. They need to stay strong and secure within the tides and storms of their own histories and circumstances, and device their own survival kits without loss of character or profound sense of personal identity. This identity must support positive and realistic values of justice, fairness and transparency in the social, cultural and institutional domains.

This new identity will help it hold out the pressures of a world that has little moral discipline to accommodate the poor and powerless of the world.  The world today is a sharp divide of the very powerful and the powerless-the very rich and the very poor. Unfortunately Africa is at the bottom of these powerless and very poor groups.

It is ridiculous to ask another man to help tell you who you are. In characteristic human logic and temperament; it’s only fair the other man tells you rather how he feels about you, not really who you are. 

In Chinua Achebe’s things fall Apart-Okonkwo, a turbulent character, notorious for killing the Whiteman who he felt came to pillage his land and history, did so for pride. Okonkwo felt aware that someday if the Whiteman had his way, he and his people would be left in the lurch, in the middle of nowhere, without an identity, certainly poor-a poverty that will come down with their pride and dignity. Okonkwo felt better-off taking his own life than live a life shorn of dignity and pride.  That is where Africa still is, to date.

There is no better tribute to the life and times of Chinua Achebe than take a reflection on the present state of Africa - the theme and trajectory of his entire oeuvre.

By Steve Orji

United Kingdom.